Hey Baby, I Think I Wanna Marry You
by AnthroQueen
Summary: Or, thirty ways it didn't happen. A 30kisses challenge.


**What up. How's everyone doing? Hopefully well. Last night's episode as a whole was a hot mess, but all the Spoby was wonderful, yesyes? Anyways. I'm here with another long AF one-shot for you to peruse at your leisure. It mainly stemmed from boredom and because I really, really wanted to write some Spoby fluff after the angsty mess that was "Wild and Free." SpobyFicStalker, feel free to begin the poking fun. I won't blame you.  
**

 **This is another 30kisses challenge, much like "There's Something About You and I." I know what you're thinking- why the heck would you write another one of those? Because they're fun and challenging, that's why. It's list Iota, or the proposals challenge. That's right, you guessed it- each one of these vignettes is a different proposal, a take on how they're going to seal the deal for the future because let's be honest, time jump or not, these bitches are endgame. I'm not worried. You shouldn't be either. :P That doesn't mean I necessarily have faith in the writers (because I totally don't) but still. If you read this whole thing, bless you. If you read this whole thing AND still manage to review, bless you twice. I love you all regardless. Have a good night (or morning, or evening, or afternoon)!**

* * *

Hey Baby, I Think I Wanna Marry You

~* A 30kisses Challenge *~

 **01- the ring's on the other hand**

She doesn't know why she still has a Facebook. In fact, she doesn't know why she still has _any_ form of social media, given her past; it's literally just asking for trouble. Regardless, she _does_ still have a Facebook page and what's worse, she's friends with her _mother_ ; the day Veronica sent her a friend request was a very sad day in Spencer Hastings' young life (even sadder when she downed half a margarita before accepting). Thus, nonstop she gets these likes and comments from the elder Hastings, always on photos of her out with her friends, always pointing out the dazzling, glittering jewelry her daughter's wearing and always, _always without fail_ , wondering why she failed to mention to her own mother the point at which she'd gotten engaged. Newsflash- Spencer and Toby have been dating for years and years (they're in their mid-twenties and they've stopped counting) but no, much to her mother's dismay, they are not headed for the altar. She begs Hanna to stop tagging her in the awful photos of their weekly Friday night outings. The blonde however finds this nagging hilarious and continues to do so.

She's in a sour mood as she scrolls through the photos on her laptop, curled up on the couch in their tiny Manhattan apartment, a generous snowfall flittering about outside. There are three rings on her fingers, but it's her _right_ hand; surely her mother could figure that out, right? Wrong. Underneath a photo of her and Aria laughing under club lights, her mother's commented, " _U r engaged? Spencer, call me NOW._ " She frowns and discredits her mother, vowing to stop wearing all jewelry any time she goes out with Hanna. Just as she's considering unfriending her, the door to their apartment clicks open and Toby enters, shaking snow off his coat and desperately trying to shield a bag of takeout from the onslaught. A familiar smell wafts through the apartment and her mood is instantly rectified.

"That better be fried rice in there," Spencer says without looking up and she can hear him smirk without having to meet his eyes.

"When you know it through a bag, you know it too well," Toby chuckles, placing the bag on the coffee table. "I didn't feel like cooking and since you almost burned the place down last time-"

"That was _one_ time," Spencer shakes her head, reaching for a plastic fork and digging in, her eyes closing in pleasure. "Ugh. You're too good to me."

"I do what I can," He shrugs and sits beside her, reaching for a dumpling as she drapes the blanket over his lap as well. "What are you doing?"

"My mother thinks we're engaged again," Spencer rolls her eyes, gesturing towards the screen where her notifications are suddenly blowing up. "And now my entire friends list is congratulating me on my fake engagement, thanks to her."

He nods and says, "It looks like you're engaged."

"No, that ring is on my other hand," Spencer explains. "And besides, it's a band; it's not even a diamond! And it has sapphires in it!"

"No," Toby shakes his head, his hand taking hers beneath the blanket. "It looks like you're _engaged_."

She looks closer at the screen, puzzled, and that's when she sees it. It's a life event, right in the middle of her newsfeed, and it's hers- Spencer Hastings got engaged to Toby Cavanaugh. She stares at it for a solid minute before saying, "I didn't change that."

"No, you didn't," Toby grins. "I did."

"Is this some kind of practical joke?" She wonders nervously. "My mother will _kill_ you."

He hands her a fortune cookie and cracks open one of his own. " _Love is for the lucky and the brave_. I agree. What does yours say?"

Spencer cracks hers open and instead of a tiny slip of paper, an engagement ring falls into her palm, and suddenly she forgets all about Facebook and her mother and fried rice. "Oh my god. Are you seriously doing this right now or are you just shitting me?"

He laughs and says, "I'm seriously doing this. Have I ever told you how much I love your foul mouth?"

She laughs, too, and almost upends the box of fried rice as he slides the ring on her finger and brings her in for a kiss. He wonders, "So you'll marry me?"

"Of course I will," Spencer says and can't seem to stop shaking. "I can't believe you told everyone we were engaged before we actually got engaged."

"Not everyone," He shakes his head. "Just the ones on Facebook. And who even looks at Facebook anymore, anyway?"

Spencer groans inwardly. "My mother, that's who."

Later on, she posts a picture of the ring; on the correct hand, this time. Her mother just about has a coronary.

 **02- who's asking who?**

They last for five days, sixteen hours, twenty-seven minutes and twelve seconds apart. Spencer knows; she counts every single one. They don't break up, like everyone expects; instead, he moves out to Boston with her, picks up a few odd carpentry jobs and they make it work. Truth is, she was absolutely miserable in those five days without him. New city, new school, new friends and new classes were too many new things without something familiar. She spent every free second on the phone with him or texting him or, if he was working, missing him desperately. She knew he felt the same way; he always sent her block texts and insisted on staying on the phone until she fell asleep. It must've been his way to cope; she isn't sure. Is it pathetic that they couldn't last a week without one another? No. What's pathetic was assuming they could and not having him follow her in the first place.

They don't go back to Rosewood for the summers and instead, ride the T end to end and bask in summer festivals and hideaway in bookstores rereading classics. Just before her senior year starts, they buy their very first apartment about a block or two from the school and celebrate by getting dinner and drinks (because she's finally legal, now) and then making love on the couch Toby had brought from his loft, the only piece of furniture they own. They fall asleep underneath his quilt, holding onto each other tightly, so as to not roll onto the bare floor. The next morning, Spencer suggests they make a day trip to IKEA for cheap furniture, citing the money she's saved from her summer job teaching summer school, and it's like she's suggested robbing a bank the way Toby reacts. All he needs, he claims, are a few supplies and he can build them anything they want. She smirks and leaves him to his work; she has a few books to pick up downtown, anyway.

When she returns a few hours later, she forgets which building they're in (they all look the same) and struggles with the key in the door (she has _so_ many textbooks, now). But when she finally gets inside, she hears a small commotion coming from the back room they'd designated their bedroom and, magnetically, gravitates towards the sound. Dropping her keys and books onto the floor (in her defense, there's no other place, right now), she heads towards their bedroom and is prepared to see a giant, grand creation they could call their bed, ready to drop a mattress on top of and fill with generously sweet dreams. But that's not what she sees. The room is still mostly empty when she appears at the door, save for some nails and a few piles of sawdust, but Toby's in the corner, spreading polyurethane over a piece of wood and when he moves slightly, Spencer realizes it's a grand, ornate desk.

"Toby," She murmurs, taken aback. "It's beautiful."

He turns, startled just a bit, and says, "I didn't hear you come in. I wanted it to be a surprise."

"It is," She agrees. "A beautiful one. But what about a bed?"

Toby shrugs and seems almost embarrassed when he admits, "I wanted you to have a place to work, first."

"You did?"

"Yeah," He says sheepishly. "You're going to be a scientist, Spence, and that's going to be a lot of hard work. You're going to go out there and cure AIDS and cancer and the common cold. But you're going to need a good place to do all that; a place where you can organize all of your things."

Spencer's heart is going to somersault right out of her chest. She watches as he puts the finishing touches on the beautiful desk and suddenly, she has a vision of him constructing a crib for their first child, with a handmade changing table and rocking chair to match. Love for him overwhelms her to the point where she can barely see straight and before she can stop herself, she blurts out, "Marry me."

He turns to face her, his eyes sincere and apprehensive, and he asks, "What did you say?"

And she knows this is her chance to take it back, but she means it with all her heart and she just can't. "Marry me, Toby. Please. Let's get married."

"Are you serious?" He asks, standing and taking her hands and she nods, but he mustn't believe her, for he asks again, "Are you asking me to marry you?"

She blushes a bit and glances down. "I think so. Why? Were you going to do it?"

"Yeah, eventually," Toby chuckles. "When you graduated and we got a real home and settled down and stuff."

"I don't want to wait for that," Spencer shakes her head. "I want our forever to start right now."

"Spencer, our forever started a long time ago," He tells her. "But you're an overachiever and I should've expected as much, so I'll let you have this one."

She giggles and he bends to kiss her, nuzzling their noses together when they're through. She asks, "Are you still going to ask me later?"

"Maybe," He smirks in that way that tells her it's a total _yes_. "Either way, you know there's nowhere I'd rather be than by your side."

"Forever?"

"Always."

 **03- amnesia**

Someone is hammering on Toby Cavanaugh's brain.

He opens his eyes and immediately regrets this decision, squeezing them shut again. In their haste the night prior, they hadn't shut the curtains (the folks in the room across the way must've gotten _quite_ the show) and now they're paying the price. He disentangles himself from his girlfriend, groaning at the movement, and reaching blindly for anything to block out the light and cease the incessant hammering. Nothing happens. Nothing, except for waking Spencer, his blind movements accidentally swatting her in the face. She squirms and groans, complaining inaudibly, turning her face into the pillows and rolling away from him. He doesn't know what's happening right now. All he remembers is this- a seven-hour plane ride to Vegas for Hanna's birthday. That's it. They were in a casino and that's all he remembers, but they must've gotten _fucked up_ , because he's never been in this much pain.

The hammering continues. Toby groans, "Spence, do you hear that?"

"Stop yelling at me," She whines. "Can you turn down the sun?"

"I feel like death," He replies instead. "What the _hell_ did we do last night?"

"We drank. A _lot_ ," Spencer fills in. "I can't remember anything else."

Her phone suddenly buzzes on the table beside them and they both groan in agony at the sudden sound. She answers instantly to quiet it. "Hello?"

It's Aria and she sounds a lot perkier than they are. " _Hey, I'm warning you, don't come to breakfast. Hanna is seriously pissed about you stealing her thunder last night_."

"What are you talking about?" Spencer yawns, sitting up and immediately clutching the sheet around her naked frame. Okay, she's naked. They probably had sex. She's going to need a refresher on how the rest of the night went.

" _Uh you stole her thunder? I mean, I'm really happy for you guys and we all knew it was coming but did you have to do it last night?_ "

"Aria, do I sound like someone who's in the know?" Spencer's patience is running very thin and Toby winces as her voice rises an octave. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

" _You really don't remember? It was Hanna's birthday, we were all celebrating-_ "

"We were all _drinking_ ," Spencer fills in. "Some of us more than others, apparently."

" _You and Toby got engaged last night. How do you not remember that?_ "

Spencer's eyes almost fall out of their sockets. "We did _what?_ No, no, no, if we did that, I would've remembered and I would have a ring-"

Her left hand slips from beneath the covers and sure enough, there's a shiny diamond on her fourth finger. The phone falls from her grasp and onto the floor, forgotten. "Oh holy _shit_."

"What?" Toby rolls over to face her and when his eyes catch the diamond, they widen in surprise. "Wait, how did you get that?"

"Remember how you were acting really weird on the plane and I thought you just hated flying?" Spencer asks and he nods. "Remember how we can't remember what we did last night because we were so drunk?"

"Yeah."

She pauses, deadpans, "Do you really not see where I'm going with this?"

"We got engaged?" Toby implores, sitting as well. His face crumbles. "No! That's not how I wanted to do it."

"I can't believe you were planning on proposing," Spencer still can't get over the shock and Toby frowns.

"I can't believe I ruined it," He whines. "I had it all set up. I wasn't going to do that to Hanna, first off. We were going to dinner tomorrow night and there was a fountain outside the Bellagio that I thought would be the _perfect_ background… And now I'll never know how that turns out!"

"Yes you do," She assures him, cupping his cheek. "Toby, I would've said yes then, too."

He smiles at her and kisses her languidly before saying, "Okay, when we tell the story, can we pretend it actually happened that way?"

"Our friends will tell everyone the truth," Spencer points out.

"We'll just tell everyone _they_ were the drunk ones," Toby shrugs. "Foolproof."

She laughs wholeheartedly and he grins because he loves her laugh. He loves her. And he gets to love her for the rest of his life.

 **04- every single obstacle**

Their relationship has been a beautiful mess of highs and lows, a rollercoaster of not only ups and downs, but corkscrews, loops and inversions, too. Toby would be lying if he said he wasn't the cause of most of the bad stuff. He can't help himself; in his effort to make things okay, he somehow always ends up making things worse. But they always find their way back to one another, in the end. It doesn't matter that he joins the –A team or that he becomes a cop. It doesn't matter that she shuts him out and tells more lies than truths. It doesn't matter that they spend more time pushing each other away in effort to keep one another safe than pulling close and banding together. Well, it does; it _does_ matter, in the grand scheme of things. These things shaped their identities, helped them become who they are as a couple, but it doesn't matter here and now. Because they made it, they're still together, and he's going to propose.

Or, so he thinks. He decides and the first person he tells isn't Emily, because she's on vacation and it isn't Hanna, because she can't keep a secret and it isn't Caleb, because he'd tell Hanna who can't keep a secret. It's Aria, which is strange, really, because he's never really been close to her. But perhaps this makes her the perfect person to tell. She gets super excited and asks where he's going to do it, how he's going to do it and where he's going to buy the ring. He doesn't have a single answer for any of these questions. She chuckles, calls him a rookie, and offers to help. He's grateful and they visit the jeweler first thing.

Everything goes smoothly. Aria helps him set up a venue, pick out a floral arrangement and find an instrumental version of Spencer's favorite song to play during the magical moment. Toby watches the petite brunette's eyes light up at every detail and chuckles; Spencer hadn't been joking when she'd once called her friend the hopeless romantic. They stare at ring after ring before finding _the one_ ; Toby takes one look at it and just _knows_. He doesn't need to see any others and Aria helps him figure out a way to inconspicuously check Spencer's ring size. He doesn't know how to do these things; he's grateful for her. The big day grows nearer and nearer and his anxiety increases tenfold. The night before, Aria wishes him good luck. Stick to the plan, she warns, and it'll all turn out fine.

He tries to take her advice, but things begin to fall to shit. The venue cancels; they've double booked a birthday party for the same day and so his magical proposal is out. He can't get a dinner reservation anywhere classy so late in the evening and he curses his lack of having a plan B. The florist sends him chrysanthemums, which look nice, but are not the orchids he ordered, and, he realizes quickly after, he's pretty allergic to them. He suffers a solid twenty minutes of sneezing before pawning them off on his elderly neighbor (a lovely woman who offers him some water and a Benadryl) and then gets even more bad news. The jeweler calls- the ring will be ready on Tuesday. Which is fine and dandy and all, except that today is Friday. Toby's fuming. Everything's falling apart at the seams and just when he's about to call Aria in full panic mode, the door opens and Spencer enters, dumping their mail on the table beside the door and shaking out a wet umbrella.

"It is absolutely _pouring_ outside," She comments, oblivious to her boyfriend's fury over his foiled plans. "You know what that means! Pop some corn and build a fire, because Friday night Scrabble night is a _go_!"

His fury melts into a warm and fuzzy feeling he can't identify and he nods. "You're on, Hastings."

And that's when the light bulb goes off. Scrabble. Of _course_. He'd been trying to find the perfect way to propose to Spencer, and the answer had been here all along.

A fire's crackling across from them as she tries to get comfortable and then frowns. "Okay, I have to change out of this stupid skirt. You can have the first word. I just can't deal with this blazer any longer."

She scrambles towards the staircase, in search of their bedroom, and he grins. That's what he was hoping she'd say. He gets to work, shaking out letters and hastily rearranging them, before setting up his sleeve like it's any other day. She returns in a pair of lounge pants and an old t-shirt of his and rolls her eyes the second she sees the board. "Oh, of course, you probably already have, what, seventy-five points? What word did you play, anyway?"

"A good one," Toby tells her. "Don't knock it till you've tried it."

She shakes her head, smiling, and reaches for the bag of letters. But as he hands it to her, she looks at it, _really_ looks at it, and stops dead. Scattered across the board, the message reads, WILL YOU MARRY ME and only then does Toby realize how ridiculous this looks without a ring.

His heart's in his throat as she sits dead still for a moment before shaking out letters and going about the game. He's confused, but only for a moment, because she spells out her own message and then spins the board towards him.

YES I WILL

Later, long after they've finished celebrating, Toby thinks Aria would be proud.

 **05- everything but the kitchen sink**

Everyone always says your marriage proposal is the biggest shock of your life, but call her a detective, call her a genius, call her Nancy Drew, because Spencer knows.

Toby dresses up for dinner, for one thing, and he never dresses up. Not that she minds; she loves him in sweats, in jeans, in _nothing_ … The suit and tie is oddly formal, but she matches it with one of her best dresses and his eyes and hands are everywhere at once as he drinks her in. They stroll, hand in hand, into the restaurant and everyone is eyeing them like they're in on some big secret that she isn't supposed to know about. She keeps waiting for the ring to appear in her champagne (because he orders a whole bottle, to "celebrate them") or in her dessert (because everyday is a "celebration," why wait for a special occasion?), but it doesn't happen. Dinner ends and she's still his girlfriend and she wonders if maybe she was wrong.

She isn't.

Regardless, it was an absolutely delicious and wonderful dinner and that would've been enough for her. She heads towards their car but he doesn't follow; instead, he shakes his head and nods towards a horse-drawn carriage, right there, in the middle of the city. Her eyes are wide but he helps her into the carriage and loops his arm around her and she waits for him to give some sappy speech and pop the question right there. Maybe the driver has the ring or maybe it's attached to the bridle of the horse. He doesn't and it isn't; the carriage carries them into the beautiful park, the trees lit like a canopy above them, and they disembark, Spencer stumbling tipsily because she's drunk on champagne and drunk on love and drunk on him. Again, she waits for him to drop to one knee, but he doesn't. Toby simply takes her hand and leads her deep into the park.

The trees twinkle with fairy lights and she feels like she's in a movie; _Cinderella_ , perhaps, or _Sleeping Beauty_ , something with princesses and fairies and all things majestic. The path gives way to a clearing and it's sprinkled with rose petals and there's a string quartet in the background and this entire night has made her head spin. She almost doesn't expect it, now, so of course, this is when she turns to find her boyfriend knelt before her, a grin on his face and love in his eyes, as he presents her with a small, velvet box. She doesn't even know what to do. She's too overwhelmed. Should she be freaking out? Hugging him? Crying? She doesn't do any of that. She inhales a bit shakily and tries to listen to the outpour of love coming from his mouth instead of her furiously beating heart.

"Spencer… my confidante, my partner in crime, my best friend," Toby says, taking her hand in his. "I am so in love with you and all I've ever wanted was to be with you forever."

"That's what I want, too," She assures him and he grins.

"Will you marry me?" He asks and she can hear the nerves in his voice and she wants to kiss him just for that.

"Of course I will," She beams. "Yes!"

She tugs on the lapels of his jacket, pulling him to her and they kiss and caress and kiss some more. The quartet begins to clap for them and honestly, she'd almost forgotten they were here. When they pull apart, their hands are shaking and he struggles getting the ring on her finger because neither one of them can contain themselves. They kiss again but this one ends just a bit abruptly because she can't help herself; she laughs. He shoots her an odd look, wondering, "What?"

"I'm sorry," Spencer shakes her head. "I don't know. I guess it's this. It's all of this."

"Oh," Toby glances away, sheepish. "Is it too much?"

"No. No, no, no," She assures him, locking eyes once more. "It's beautiful. It really is. It's just… Okay, maybe it is too much. Just a little."

"Was it the flowers?" He wonders. "Or the quartet? It was the carriage, wasn't it? That was a last minute add-on, and I-"

She brings her lips to his once more to silence him. "No. I changed my mind. It's perfect."

Toby smiles. "You're a romantic after all?"

Spencer scoffs, "I was _always_ a romantic."

She proves her point when they no longer have an audience and he does not argue.

 **06- it's not a diamond**

She ends up at the University of Hawaii and he learns how to surf. He's not very good at it, but she laughs with her whole body, now, and the sunshine has lightened her hair and their phones remain silent. She's happy; _they're_ happy and that's all he can ask for. The only problem is that they're broke as fuck; he's still a cop, still fighting the man and picking up odd carpentry jobs on the way and she's the A+ student by day and waitress by night and they're barely making ends meet. They're living off of love and ramen noodles and everyday, Toby panics that it's not going to be enough for her. She's always been more about experience and less about material possessions but he always assumes there's only so much she can take. He expects any day now for her to break down in their shabby apartment and quit, give up, go back home. She never does.

Four years go by quickly and just as she's halfway through her master's, they decide they're never looking back. Hawaii beats Rosewood _any_ day; Hawaii beats most places any day, actually. And so they know this is forever; they like to dream about what they're going to do when they actually have the means to do it, like travel abroad or buy a house on a beachside cliff somewhere or island hop and see the rest of this beautiful state. But then, he gets a new dream; he comes home from work one night, exhausted, covered in sand, and all he wants is to collapse into bed and forget the world. But there's commotion coming from the kitchen and he frowns instantly, assuming she's got friends over and really, he doesn't want to be social tonight. He comes to the doorway and immediately, the frown on his face upends. She's got a textbook on one arm and is pushing a mop across the floor with the other one, every so often stopping to stir something bubbling in a pot on the stove. The radio in the corner of the countertop is crooning bad 90s hits and she's currently dancing around animatedly to _Man! I Feel Like A Woman_ , substituting the real lyrics for facts in her textbook, to remember them better. Toby watches her, oblivious to his presence, and there's his new dream. He loves seeing her this happy; he wants her to be this happy for the rest of her life. He wants to marry her.

There's only one problem- he can't afford a ring.

He looks longingly at all the gorgeous diamond rings and balks at the price tags. They cost more than his life, probably. He tries to convince himself that it isn't actually all that much; there's a very nice one that only costs a little more than what he has stored in his savings account. Okay, maybe a little more than that. Okay, it's actually twice as much as his savings and he listens to the jeweler's sob story about down payments and loans and his head spins through it all. With his luck, he'll be paying off this ring until he's seventy-five. He thanks the seller nicely and leaves the store, feeling like a failure, feeling like everyone in the store is judging him for not being able to afford the perfect ring for his perfect girl. He doesn't know what to do. There has to be another way he can do this, but short of selling his body, he's coming up with nothing. It isn't until he's thoroughly defeated, strolling downtown on his way home, that life offers him a second option.

It's date night. They never really have time for date nights, but they never did before, either. They go for dinner and then for a walk on the beach, the sun setting in the horizon and casting an orange and pink glow across the rippling sea, the cascading sands. They're hand in hand and she's complaining about something sexist her professor said and the salty seawater comes in, laps at their ankles and retreats back over shells and dunes. It's a beautiful night, but that's the best thing about Hawaii- _every_ night is a beautiful night. The weather is perfect, the beach is beautiful and hey, he can't complain about the company, either. He says something and she laughs and bumps against him, but he moves away, puts a bit of distance between them, because the ring is in his pocket. The ring that is not a diamond.

"Where are you going?" She tugs at their hands, pulling him back, unhappy with even the tiniest space between them. "Get back over here."

"Yes, ma'am," He obliges and they continue walking. "I didn't actually go anywhere."

"We have to make up for lost time," Spencer counters. "All those years we never got to go on a date? It's happening right now."

"You want to make up for all our missed opportunities in one night?" Toby smirks. "That's impossible."

"Not if we try hard enough," Spencer shakes her head and he doesn't know where this sudden bout of optimism came from, but it looks good on her.

"We don't have to do it all in one night," Toby tells her. "We'll have a whole lifetime together for that."

"I know that, but…" She trails off and stops walking. He does, too, and she must catch something in his eye, because she asks, "Wait, what are you saying?"

He grins at her and gets down on one knee, pulling a tiny box from his pocket as she gasps and shakes her head in disbelief. "Wait, what are you doing?"

"Spencer, I have loved you for as long as I can remember," He says, taking her shaking hands in his. "Actually, I can't even remember a time when you weren't in my life and that's a good thing. You've made my life so full and so worth living. You make me happy. And I want to make you happy for the rest of our lives."

"You already do," She insists, trembling. "God, Toby, you already do."

He lets go to open the box and then hesitates slightly. "Before I open this, I just want to tell you that it isn't a diamond. I know that this kind of breaks tradition and that this isn't necessarily good enough. I'm hoping that I can get you the ring that you actually deserve someday soon. But I saw this one and… It's beautiful and I thought you might like it."

Her face melts heartwarmingly and she says, "It could be a Ring Pop and I'd be okay with it. You know I don't care about fancy, material stuff."

Toby sighs in relief; that's what he'd been hoping she'd say. Very carefully, he pops the top on the ring box and it glitters in the waning sunlight. "Spencer… Will you marry me?"

She nods, entranced by the ring. "Yes!"

He doesn't even have time to put it on her finger before she yanks on his collar and pulls his face to hers. They kiss fiercely, intensely, passionately and he doesn't know if the tears on his face are his or hers; knowing them, they're probably an intermingling of both. When their lungs beg for oxygen, the look on her face is one of love, of excitement, of new beginnings and she steps back a bit, offering him her hand. He chuckles, slips the silver band out from the box, and delicately puts it on her finger. It's beautiful and she marvels at it for a moment before noticing the small engraving and whispering, " _Kuuipo_ … What does that mean?"

"It's traditional Hawaiian," Toby tells her, tucking windblown hair behind her ear. "It means sweetheart."

A warm smile spreads across her face and she looks from the sparkling band to his sparkling eyes and says, "Don't _ever_ get me a replacement ring, okay? This one is just… Toby, I love you _so_ much."

She throws herself into his arms with reckless abandon. He holds her just as tight. "I love you too, sweetheart."

 **07- fool's gold**

She's freaking out. Honestly, she's like a little kid in a candy store right now. She's pretty sure that Toby thinks she's mildly insane but this has been her dream since she was eight years old and now that she's finally here? Well, she's freaking out like the science nerd that she is. They're supposed to be en route to Rosewood to visit her parents and pick up the last of their belongings. But on the way through the city, they make a detour to Howe Caverns per Spencer's incessant request. And that's how they end up deep beneath the Earth, comparing stalactites and stalagmites, and taking a guided boat tour through an underground mine. She's basically losing her shit right now. Toby doesn't seem as excited.

"Ooh, that one's gorgeous," Spencer points out and snaps a picture. "The way it hangs just inches above the water? Nature made that. Like I just can't handle how awesome it looks."

"It's a rock, Spencer," Toby says. "It looks the same as all the other ones in here."

She shoots him a glare. "It is not! Appreciate the beauty, Toby. You're gaining life experience, here."

"I have always wanted to see the inside of a cave," He admits. "But now that I have, I'm wondering why."

He chuckles at the look on her face. She's not amused with him. The rippling, glassy river takes them through dripping sheets of stalactites and when the tour is finished, they're offered the opportunity to mine for their own gems. Spencer's so giddy she can barely contain herself. She slips on the gloves and grabs a bucket of tools, beginning to pan and sift through the sand. Toby smirks and follows her lead. "This is so awesome. I don't understand how you're not enjoying yourself."

"It's cool," He agrees. "It isn't my idea of fun, but I'm glad you're having a good time."

"Not your idea of fun? Toby, you could strike gold," Spencer shakes her head. "All I've found is a couple of pieces of quartz. And this gorgeous hunk of obsidian."

"Of course you know their names," Toby smirks and she scoffs.

"I took earth science twice," Spencer says. "Once in high school, once in college. Besides, there's a classification guide right next to you."

He glances to his other side and chuckles. Of course there is. They work together in silence before he stops dead and she turns, questioning. "What's wrong?"

"I think I found gold," Toby deadpans and he's suddenly super serious. "It's small but… Well, look at it."

She glances at it and knows instantly, but hesitates in ruining his excitement. He implores, "Well?"

"It's pyrite," She says and he frowns.

"It's _what?_ "

"Pyrite. Fool's gold," She corrects him. "But it's okay because everyone thinks it's real, at first."

Toby sighs. "What's the difference?"

"It's harder than gold. More brittle. The crystal formation is all wrong. Also, watch this." She takes it from him, strikes the piece of metal against the side of the pan and sparks emit. "Real gold doesn't do that."

"Why do you have to be so smart?"

Spencer laughs. "I'm so sorry. I know it's such a burden for you."

"You couldn't just let me have that one, huh?" Toby teases. "Forget gold. Maybe I'll find a diamond instead."

"Did you know it takes about forty-five million years to crystallize a diamond?" Spencer asks. "Give or take a century."

"Well, I don't want to wait that long," Toby shakes his head. "And I'm sure you don't, either."

He reaches into his jacket pocket, produces a box and pops the top. There's a sparkling diamond waiting for her and she doesn't know what to say. Toby grins and asks, "Marry me?"

She's speechless, so she attacks his mouth with kisses and lets her actions do the talking.

 **08- humiliation**

"What are you doing here?"

Busted. He turns around slightly and doesn't meet the older man's eyes. "I was just uh… I was just going through some stuff."

He gestures towards the box at his feet and the man grunts. "Going through your _mother's_ stuff?"

Toby frowns. "I wanted to see what was left."

Daniel harrumphs impatiently. "What are you looking for? Everything was destroyed in that gas leak."

 _Gas leak. Right_. It's been years and he still doesn't understand why his father can't see the light. Still, he doesn't want to let him in on the subject of his search, so he shrugs and turns back to the box. "I don't know. Different things."

Daniel watches for a moment and Toby wishes he could just have some peace. After a beat, his father asks, "You're looking for the ring, aren't you?"

Toby stills, his heart racing. "No."

"You are," Daniel croons patronizingly. "You're going to propose. To _her_."

He says nothing, suddenly self-conscious, feeling stupid for even having the idea. Defensively, he replies, "So what if I am? Why do you care? I love her."

"Why can't you see that you're making a mistake?" Daniel roars. "Why has it taken you this long to realize the path you're on is a dangerous one?"

"Why has it taken _you_ this to long to realize I don't care what you think?" Toby mutters, tossing one box aside and yanking forth another one. "I'm an adult. You can't tell me how to live my life."

"No," Daniel sighs and turns to go. "You've done a good enough job of screwing it up on your own."

It hurts. He's not going to pretend it doesn't. But it doesn't matter, because at the bottom of this box, is the jewelry box that sat on his mother's dresser for as long as he could remember. With shaking hands, he reaches for it, opens it and the tiny dancer still twirls and twirls to broken, garbled music. A lump rises in his throat and he could break down, right here and now, but he doesn't. He pockets his mother's engagement ring and leaves his childhood home, making the long drive back to the city with his father's words still ringing in his ears. He can't shake it. He hates going home- and could he really call it home if he always feels like an outsider? When he returns to their apartment, Spencer's humming an unfamiliar tune and running a vacuum across the carpet, but turns it off the moment she sees the look on his face.

"What's wrong?" She wonders as they both sink into the couch.

He shrugs. "It's nothing."

"No, it's something," Spencer frowns. "You look so unhappy. What happened? Where did you go?"

"You're happy here, right?" He asks instead and she appears confused at the change in subject. "With this? With us?"

"Toby," She says softly, sincerely. "Of course I am."

"I just want to be sure," Toby insists. "I want _you_ to be sure, really sure, that this is what you want. That I'm not wasting your time."

"You… Wasting my… You could _never_ ," She seems genuinely concerned and she takes both of his hands in hers. "I love you so much. This is where I want to be. Always."

He nods, silent, and she asks again, "Where did you go?"

She knows. He _knows_ she already knows, but can tell she's still heartbroken when he says, "Back home. I saw my Dad."

She purses her lips. To say the two don't get along would be an understatement. "Oh."

"It's stupid," Toby shrugs. "I shouldn't let it get to me. But he asked me why I was there and then he got so… so _condescending_ with me. I couldn't help it. It hurt."

"Oh, Toby," Spencer frowns, trailing a hand down his cheek. After a beat she asks, "Wait, why _were_ you there?"

And now he vehemently hates his father because this was supposed to be their moment, this was supposed to be all about them, and he's tainted it. "I, um, I was going to get something of my mother's."

Her face softens. "And did you? It wasn't ruined in the fire, was it?"

"No," Toby smiles in spite of himself. "It's still perfect."

She smiles, too, and then her eyes widen when he pulls it from his pocket. "Oh my god."

"I wanted to ask you to marry me," He says, the ring shining majestically between them. "I still do. I'm just afraid he's ruined it."

"No. No, he can't take this away from us," Spencer shakes her head, not taking her eyes off of it, off of _him_. "Your mother's ring… Oh my god."

He waits expectantly, asking, "Will you? Marry me, I mean?"

"Yes. Oh my god, yes," She agrees and when the ring's on her finger her emotions get the best of her and she begins to cry. "I love you _so_ much."

"I love _you_ ," He insists and kisses her over and over.

"Remember that, okay? Remember that the next time you let your father get into your head," Spencer tells him and he's taken aback. "Remember that you love me and that I love you. Remember that we're getting married. And if your father can't see that, if he can't _understand_ that, then _he's_ the one with the problem, not you."

It hits him like a ton of bricks. She's right; she always is. And so he does; he remembers. And the moment is theirs.

 **09- inappropriate timing**

He has it all planned out. Reservations at their favorite restaurant downtown, a brand-new suit jacket, shiny shoes. She twirls and the skirt of her dress flails about around her and he grins and calls her the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. She smirks and tells him to turn down the charm. They're halfway through dinner, salivating over steak and lasagna, when she gets the call. She shoots him an apologetic look and he waves it off, but inside he's screaming. The ring is weighing down his pocket and she's got her phone pressed against one ear and her finger pressed against the other, and suddenly there's pain and panic on her face. Concern grows on his own and she hangs up, looking up at him fearfully and spitting out, "My father had a heart attack."

And they're out of there as fast as lightning and the night is no longer theirs. He drops a couple of twenties on the table to pay for the meal they don't finish and takes her hand, vice-like, and they head for the car. He's definitely not doing the speed limit as they make a beeline for Rosewood but he's less concerned about police and more concerned about the awful look in his girlfriend's eyes. She hasn't spoken to her father in weeks and they still barely see eye to eye on matters that don't concern him, but the thought of losing him without reconciling is, clearly, taking her mind hostage and doing unspeakable things to it. They're at the hospital and ascending into the emergency room when the elevator dings open. He looks at her and she pleads, "Don't leave me. I can't be alone right now."

He has no intention to. Instead he squeezes her hand and doesn't let go. Veronica is pacing the floor, waiting for an explanation, and though they're estranged, though they barely speak to one another, Toby can tell she's internally losing her mind. Melissa's already got tears staining her cheeks and it's the first and only time he's seen her cry. Supposedly the strong one, and all that. This is what they know- he'd been complaining of shoulder pain all day and after his evening run, collapsed. Melissa found him outside, called an ambulance. And here they are. Toby pulls off his jacket and drapes it over the back of one of the plastic chairs before sinking into it and pulling Spencer down with him. She can't stop jittering. Veronica paces. Melissa cries.

A doctor enters the scene and though his face is grave, he brings good news. They lost him twice during surgery, but he's stable and with diet and exercise, he'll be all right. Veronica sighs in relief, Melissa stops crying and Spencer starts. He rubs her back as they all go towards the hallway and she can't stop. "Oh my god. Oh my god, I almost lost him."

"But you didn't," Toby points out. "He's going to be okay."

"Oh my god, I'm a mess," Spencer sputters. "Do you have a tissue?"

He nods towards the chair without thinking. "Jacket pocket."

She crosses the room, reaches into the depths of his jacket and then his eyes widen. "Wait!"

It's too late. He whirls around and she's got the box in her hand. He's speechless. She's not. "Toby, what is this?"

"Will you believe me if I tell you it's nothing?" Toby tries. She doesn't.

Gently, she folds his suit jacket and hands it back to him. He slips it on. She doesn't give him the box back, but she doesn't open it, either. He considers taking it from her, forgetting this whole thing ever happened, but he can't bring himself to. She inhales and says, "You were going to propose to me tonight."

He nods slowly. "At dinner, yeah."

She shakes her head. "Unbelievable."

"What?"

"He wasn't even _there_ ," Spencer frowns. "And my Dad _still_ managed to cock block us."

Toby cracks a smile. "Technically, it isn't cock blocking if we weren't going to have sex."

"We just hypothetically got engaged," Spencer points out. "And we're _not_ having sex to celebrate?"

"Fair point."

There's a slight pause and Toby probes, "Is it bad that I still want to ask you, despite the circumstances?"

"I don't know," Spencer says coyly. "Is it bad that I still want to say yes?"

When they visit her father a moment later, they're wearing cautiously optimistic smiles and each other's arms across their waists. No one notices the engagement ring on her finger and no one comments.

 **10- outside the norm**

This is how she'll always remember it happening. They're lying in bed, eating pizza straight out of the box and watching _LOST_ on Netflix, getting agitated every time it asks, judgingly, _are you still watching?_ They're currently arguing over John Locke, a whirlwind of a character, and while Spencer thinks he's been pure evil from the start, her boyfriend thinks otherwise. "He's misunderstood, Spencer."

"Misunderstood? He's a piece of _shit_ ," She disagrees. "He gets so bent out of shape about his destiny, his destiny, his destiny but nobody believes in destiny but him! Sometimes things just happen, John. They're out of your control."

"But he's a man of faith. That's the whole point," Toby shakes his head. "When no one else believes, John does. And that's what gets everyone through."

"What gets everyone through is Jack's reality," Spencer says. "Jack's a man of science. Jack goes by the book."

"Jack gets people killed," Toby refutes. "Remember Juliet? Sayid? Jin and Sun?"

"Okay, ouch, thanks for reminding me," Spencer frowns. "Sayid and Jin and Sun weren't his fault. That's on Sawyer."

Toby chuckles. "We're never going to agree on this."

"We don't agree on much," Spencer replies cheekily.

"Maybe I can find something easier for us to agree on," Toby suggests and Spencer smirks.

"Good luck with that."

"Marry me."

"No," She teases playfully but when he produces a ring, she's wide-eyed. "Wait, seriously?"

"Seriously."

She grins. "Okay."

And that's that.

 **11- what this means for us**

It's just like the movies. He drops down on one knee. He's got a ring.

It's solace. It's never feeling like they're alone again. It's knowing that even when he goes away, he'll come back to her, every time. It's the beginning of a whole new life together, one that might include children and grandchildren, family traditions and vacations, game nights and Christmas cookie baking and trick-or-treating on Halloween. It's the next step on a journey that they started when they were teenagers, silly teenagers, playing the game of love. It _is_ love, pure, unadulterated love; a love so grand, so epic, so wonderfully theirs, that not a single obstacle or person could come between them. It's beauty. It's magical. It's reality. It's theirs. It's something everyone sees but no one understands. It's okay. It's perfect. It's forever.

It's raining tears of joy on her face. She kisses him. She says yes.

 **12- it's only forever**

Forever used to intimidate him. When he was a kid and people used to bully him, saying the stupid stuff that kids say, he'd tried to shrug it off. But they kept at it, telling him he'd never have friends, that he'd be alone _forever_ and it just always seemed like a dark abyss, a black hole, something to swallow him up and never spit him out. When his mother passed away and he was overwhelmed with loss and grief, there was a day, the day they laid her to rest, when he realized that she was never coming back. Ever. He'd never hear her voice, he'd never see her face, he'd never hug or kiss her again. She was gone _forever_. And forever, from that point on, was too much for him to handle. He hated the certainty of it, he hated that it couldn't be changed, and he simply hated how much he always fell prey to it, one way or another.

But now he has Spencer and he isn't really afraid of things anymore like he used to be. He's definitely still the more cautious of the two; Spencer always throws all of herself into everything she does and that's one of the things he loves most about her. He probably could sit here and list all the others if you asked him, but you'd have to have a lot of time on your hands; it's a long list. What he can't do, however, is pinpoint exactly when forever became less of something he feared and more of something he craved. Maybe it has to do with the intelligent and beautiful brunette who once knocked on his door, a French book in her hands. Maybe. Maybe it was when they first made love, and she looked at him like he was answer to all of her questions, and his heart was full and his mind was at ease. Maybe. Either way, he's just taken her hand, expressed his love and proposed to her a beautifully long forever. And she's accepted.

"We're getting married," She says in between kisses. "Like… You _proposed_ to me. You're my fiancé."

"Yeah," He grins. "We're getting hitched. Betrothed. How many other combinations can you think of?"

"I'm out of them," Spencer shrugs. "I don't care. This is real. We're getting _married_."

He laughs and she kisses him again and again. She pulls back, only half-joking when she says, "Are you sure about this? I mean, you're stuck with me, now."

"Spencer," Toby says sincerely. "I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life."

"This is real," Spencer repeats as though she truly can't believe it. "This is _forever_."

"Yeah," He chuckles and there's that word again. "It is."

"Are you scared?"

And for once, he isn't. He shrugs. "What's there to be scared of? It's only forever."

 **13- because we have to**

She's covered in blood and she can't stop shaking. Toby's driving, white-knuckling the steering wheel, and Emily and Alison are in the backseat, horrified. She has no idea what they've just done but there's no turning back, now. She smells something, something clean, something intense, and when she glances back, Alison has found a packet of Wet Ones and is wiping down her skin, offering some to Emily. Emily looks as though she's going to be sick. Spencer knows the feeling. She turns back towards the open road, the moon the only natural light, and thinks of –A, thinks of Charles, thinks of the blood and the screaming, and squeezes her eyes shut. It's over and it isn't, not really, because it never really will be. Toby reaches out, grounds her in reality, and places a warm hand on her knee. She wishes she could ignore how hard he's shaking.

"It's okay," He says and she knows he's just saying it because she expects him to. Because it's not okay. It probably won't ever be okay again.

"They're going to find us," She says instead and her voice is surprisingly calm. She doesn't understand. "They're going to find out about what we did."

He doesn't say anything at first and she wants to know where his optimism went. "Toby…"

"We'll get married," He says after a beat and she frowns.

"That doesn't solve anything."

"Yes, it does," Toby disagrees. "We'll get married and then we won't have to testify against each other. Spousal privilege. We'll be able to keep mum that way."

"But…" She trails off, desperate to find another way. "But we can't do that. We're kids. We…"

"Are eighteen and nineteen," Toby fills in. "And we can do it, legally, if we want."

"I don't," She shakes her head. "I don't want to do this."

"Spencer," Toby pleads with her. "It's the only way. We _have_ to."

"But Toby…" Spencer can't exactly put her feelings into words. Not until they've smacked her in the face. "Not like this."

He seems to understand. "We'll do it again, the right way, someday. When all of this is over and you're safe and I'm safe and we're happy… But for now, it's all we've got."

She thinks about everything they've done, everything they've been through, and finally nods slowly. "Okay. Okay, we'll get married."

The car slips silently through the broken night and just like their anniversary, just like their first time, their engagement becomes just one more part of them tainted by –A.

 **14- fate**

The morning sunshine is splaying warm across the bare skin of her back and she couldn't feel more blissful if she tried. No, that's not true. It could get better. She burrows deeper under the sheets and turns in search of the warm body beside her, but she's met, instead, with emptiness and the cool side of his pillow. Her eyes snap open and she half-sits, glancing all about the room for him. It's a Sunday morning; where could he possibly be? And then a delicious aroma assaults her senses and she knows. All those cooking lessons she'd given him might be paying off. Well, she can't really call them lessons. It was mostly just her, loudly telling him what to do, him, basically ignoring her and trying not to burn things, and then them, giving up midway through and making out on the kitchen counter. She smiles at the memories. She'd easily do it all over again.

Pushing the sheets off of her, she slips an old t-shirt onto her form and pulls open their bedroom door, commencing her search party. Leaving her boyfriend alone in the kitchen isn't such a great idea, after all. Or maybe it is; when she reaches him, there's something smoking on the stove and he's cursing and turning off the burner and there are dirty dishes a mile high in the sink. It makes her cringe. But something smells _amazing_ and the table is decorated with beautiful flowers and _actual_ plates instead of the paper ones she's gotten used to and she doesn't know who this is, but it can't be Toby. Except, when he turns around, caught in the act with a frying pan in one hand and a whisk in the other, it totally is. And it melts her heart and never ceases to amaze her how much her love grows for him everyday.

"Good morning," He greets her simply. "This was supposed to be a surprise."

"Don't worry, it still is," She grins and nods towards the stove. "What are you burning?"

"I didn't _burn_ it, it's just a little… crispier than I intended," Toby insists. "It's bacon, thank you very much."

A timer buzzes and he sets the pan of bacon back down on the now cooling burner. "That would be the muffins. Go have a seat. I'll be done a few minutes."

She does as she's asked, sinking into the chair designated for her. There's a bowl of strawberries, blueberries and watermelon off to the side, a platter of pancakes, a bowl of scrambled eggs. He places a plate of bacon next to her and returns to the oven and soon, the entire room is filled with the scent of scintillating cinnamon. When the basket of muffins is on the table, Spencer asks, "Are you kidding me? Was this whole 'I don't know how to cook' thing all an act? Because you seem to have managed your way around the kitchen pretty well?"

"I don't know what you mean," He says, playing coy. "I _don't_ know how to cook."

She reaches forward, steals a muffin and nearly dies when she takes a bite. "Right. _Sure_ you don't."

He chuckles and takes the seat before her, scooping some fruit onto his plate. She fills hers too and then asks, "What's all this for?"

"Breakfast," Toby answers simply, munching on a piece of toast. "It's the most important meal of the day."

She rolls her eyes. "Thank you, smart-ass. I was talking about this whole production. We usually have cereal or like a bagel, or something. Why go all out?"

"I'm thinking of making this a new tradition," Toby says. "Going all out for breakfast on Sundays."

She nods, chewing a piece of bacon, and concurs. "I like the way you think."

"We can do this from now on," Toby says. "Until… well, forever, I guess."

"Might I add a suggestion?" Spencer proposes and he nods. "Crepes. They're delicious. They're like dessert but also somehow still breakfast."

"I like the way _you_ think."

"I try," She grins. "We should celebrate. Commemorate this awesome new tradition we just made."

"I'm kind of one step ahead of you," Toby tells her and suddenly there's a jewelry box on the kitchen table and she chuckles just a tad.

"You got me jewelry to celebrate breakfast?"

"No," Toby shakes his head. "I made you breakfast to celebrate the jewelry."

She stops laughing and suddenly, she knows exactly what's inside that box. Bacon and crepes and pancakes be damned; she forgets all about breakfast. Carefully, she opens the box before her and then she's staring down at their forever. Toby's smiling, albeit a bit nervously, when she meets his eyes again and he just asks, simply, "Will you marry me?"

"Are you kidding me? Of course I will!" She shrieks excitedly and nearly knocks over her mug of coffee in an effort to capture his lips with hers.

She has no idea what she did to deserve him in her life. It's inexplicable. It's _everything_. It's fate.

 **15- kama sutra**

It's barely eight a.m. and they've had sex twice since they've awoken and that's how she knows it's going to be one of those mornings. They need to calm down. She's got a meeting at ten and he's headed across the state for a job and he hasn't packed a single thing. He's going to be gone for a week. Maybe that's why they're suddenly all over each other like they'll never see each other again. They're dangerously close to a third time; he's kissing down her neck, instigating it all over again, and she's always been helpless to deny him, anyway. Honestly, he's started it each time. Actually, no. She has to admit, guiltily, she definitely initiated the first round but she couldn't help it. He's shirtless and his bedhead always gets her. But she'd awoken the beast; they can't stop. But they must; they have lives to return to. So she pulls away, shakes her head, ignores the look of lust in his eye.

And then she's weak. She has an idea. She smiles sultrily, grabs his hands, nods at the bathroom door. They have to get ready, yes. They have to shower, yes. So why not have a little fun and shower together? He catches her drift and returns her grin and then his lips are on hers again. Toby walks them backwards, into the bathroom, and she reaches behind her, blindly grappling for the nob as she turns on the shower, the room already filling with heat and steam. She pulls away to step into the hazy waterfall and drags him after her, and it starts off clean but it doesn't stay that way. He pulls the curtain around, shielding them from the outside world, and then she's in his arms again, where she belongs. She could stay here forever, she could drown right here, right now, and she'd be completely satisfied.

He lifts her into his arms, her own wrapping purposefully around his neck, and her legs coil around his waist. The water is warm and slow and sensual, and it sluices between them. Her hair is matted and thick and she shoves it off her, out of the way, as she runs her fingers through his, combing and soothing. The heat between them is increasing and there's tension building in her abdomen, tension only he can release. She wonders how it's still this hot and exciting between them; they've been doing this for years and years and it never gets old. It always feels exactly like the first time, but a million times better at the same time, because now, they're seasoned professionals. They know each inch and curve of the other's body, they know how to make the other squirm and curl with pleasure. It's getting unbearable. She grows impatient, kisses him deeply, and then they're one.

Her back's against the tile and she's completely under his spell. She has no idea how he's balancing so well; he has her entire body to support and somehow, he's not slipping. It isn't what she's focused on, right now. Instead, her entire body trembles with release and he doesn't let go of her, not until long after they're finished. The water's running cold, but they still haven't washed up; he reaches for the shampoo bottle and begins to massage her scalp as she grabs the soap and runs it all over his body. They rinse and they're back to kissing but they're running short on time; there will not be a fourth time, not this morning. Toby kisses her one last time and steps out of the shower, wraps a towel around himself and steps further into the bathroom to brush his teeth. She turns off the water and can't stop smiling.

By the time she's toweling dry, he's long since left the bathroom behind and she can hear him dressing in the room next to her. The smile has yet to leave her face; he makes her so incredibly happy. As she steps towards the sink, combing through her wet hair with her fingers, it takes her a moment to notice something's different, but when she does, she's utterly awestruck. The mirror is all fogged up, from the steam of the shower or maybe from them, but Toby's taken the time to write out a message to her. It isn't the first time; he's loving and thoughtful like that. But this the first time she's seeing _these_ words.

WILL YOU MARRY ME?

Beneath the mirror, a diamond ring in a velvet box is awaiting her. Awe leaves her and elation replaces it. She shrieks and sprints for the bedroom to find him there, awaiting her, a grin on his face.

Okay. Maybe there _will_ be a fourth time.

 **16- you don't understand**

"Are you guys _still_ together?"

Spencer swallows hard and salad dressing burns all the way down. "Toby and I?"

"Obviously," Melissa rolls her eyes. "You're twenty-four."

"So?"

"So," Melissa says pointedly. "You've been dating the same guy since you were sixteen. Don't you think it's time to explore your options before you settle down?"

Spencer frowns. This, right here, is the reason she hates catching up with her sister. "I don't have options to explore. Toby's it. He's the one."

"The one?" Melissa howls. "Like _you_ know what 'the one' is supposed to be like. Marrying your high school sweetheart only happens in movies."

She remains silent. The elder Hastings shoots her a look. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm not," Spencer defends herself but can't keep the frown off her face. "You just… You don't understand."

There's pity in her sister's eyes and Spencer hates every second of it. "No, I guess I don't, Spence."

She stirs the lettuce in her bowl a little, her appetite suddenly gone, before asking, "Why don't you want me to be happy?"

"I do," Melissa shakes her head. "That's what you got out of that?"

"Toby makes me happy and apparently you don't want me to be with him," Spencer states sourly. "It's the basic transitive property, Melissa, and I know you passed geometry."

"It's not that I don't want you to be with him. I like him. I think he's good for you," She says and sips from her water before continuing. "It's just… How far do you think this relationship is going to go before it runs its course?"

Spencer says nothing. To be honest, she's envisioned wedding bells and infants crying and the two of them, hand in hand in their old age, watching their grandchildren play around them. "It's not going to run its course."

Melissa looks skeptical. "Does _he_ feel that way?"

In her heart of hearts, she knows he does. But the way Melissa's asking makes her think twice, second guess herself, and she returns home with all the insecurities she's spent years trying to chase away. Toby notices instantly and when he asks what's wrong, she simply shrugs and moodily avoids him. "Does this have to do with your sister? I told you going to lunch with her was a bad idea."

"No, it's fine," Spencer shakes her head. "It's not important."

"If it's making you upset, it is," He says. "Talk to me."

"She's just ridiculous," Spencer says. "That's all. It's that simple."

His eyes continue to search hers, so she elaborates. "She's trying to break us up."

Toby smirks. "No she's not."

"Yes she is," Spencer whines. "She keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop and for you to realize that I'm a fucking _mess_ with a metric shit-ton of emotional baggage and leave me without an explanation. And it's been _so_ long since I even considered that a possibility, but then she casually brings it up and now that's _all_ I can think about."

He's quiet a while, but there's heartbreak in his eyes and he finally says, "You're not as much of a mess as you think you are."

She scoffs. "That's what you took from that? My sister thinks I'm more invested in our relationship than you are."

Toby takes her hand, slips something small into it, and clasps her fingers around it. "Tell me if she still thinks that after she sees this."

Spencer opens her hand and all the unhappiness completely ebbs away. Instead, her heart pounds and her palms begin to sweat and she's holding an engagement ring. _She's_ never doubted Toby. _She_ knows that he loves her just as much as she loves him. And now, the world will know it too. She laughs a bit and asks, "Wait, are you just doing this because of what happened today? I don't want you to regret anything."

"Spencer, I bought that ring _years_ ago and I've been waiting for the right moment ever since," Toby admits a bit sheepishly. "I don't know if this is it, but it's as good a time as any."

She grins, but sobers a bit, playing the part. "Aren't you going to ask me properly?"

"Oh, of course," He takes the ring. "Spencer Hastings, will you-"

He doesn't get to finish. She's kissing him before she can stop herself.

Melissa may never understand, but that's okay. They've got a lifetime, now, in which to prove it to her.

 **17- i can't say "i love you"**

"Let's make this interesting."

Toby chuckles at the suggestion and takes another swig of beer. "It's already pretty interesting."

They're in a motel, just like old times, but they don't have Scrabble. Truthfully, they feel pretty naked without it. Spencer's on her stomach, lying opposite him, and there's a handful of cards in both of their hands, the rest of the deck stacked between them. "Come on. We already did the drinking game and the strip game. I'm running out of ways to make this interesting."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Silence," Spencer grins and Toby cocks an eyebrow. "I'm serious. We'll play the whole game in complete silence, only communicating in gestures, and the first person to talk, loses."

"The silent game?" Toby smirks. "I'm sorry, are we in grade school?"

"Do you have a better idea?"

"Not really."

"Okay, me neither."

"You're going to _lose_ , Spence," Toby chuckles. "You're going to lose miserably."

"Are you implying I can't keep my mouth shut?" She wonders, a hand coming to her heart. "I'm offended."

He snorts. "No you're not."

"You're right," She says. "I'm determined. Ready to play?"

"Born ready."

And then there's silence. They play Gin, Rummy and Poker and somehow, they manage to play entirely bathed in quiet. With some insane gestures, Spencer suggests Go Fish and now Toby _really_ feels like he's in grade school, but they're bored out of their minds, so he agrees. She mimes for sixes. He has none. He gesticulates for queens and lucks out, lucks out again with fours, and again with aces. He's on a roll. And he knows exactly what his next play is going to be to make her lose. She asks for a king, circling a crown on top of her head, and he shakes his head no. And now, as she's drawing a new card from the deck, Toby makes his move. He points at her, then at himself, then at the fourth finger on his left hand. She stares at him, bewildered, and shrugs. He tries again. Pointing at her, pointing at himself, and then standing, he marches forward, mimes a veil, mimes a flower girl, and still, she has no idea what he's trying to say. He gives up. He points at her, reaches into his pocket for the small box, and then points at himself again. He pops the top. She understands.

She gasps and then clasps a hand against her mouth, so incredibly torn between squealing, he's sure, and winning the game. He sits back against the headboard, triumphant. She gives in. "Oh my god. Crap- that doesn't count! Crap, that doesn't count, either!"

"You lost!" Toby shouts, victorious. "Told you so."

"No," Spencer says. "That doesn't count! That wasn't part of the game!"

"I kicked your ass at Go Fish, too," He grins and she shakes her head.

"That is _so_ not fair," She disagrees. "You tricked me!"

"You can't say that."

"You are the _worst_. I can't believe how much I love you."

"You can't say that, either."

"Wait," Spencer points out. "If I can't say all these things, I can't say yes, either."

Toby contemplates this a moment before saying, "I have not thought this through."

She giggles and he kisses her and the ring is now at its permanent home on her finger. She's threading her fingers through his hair as he teases, singsong, "You lost."

"Are you sure?" She wonders. "Could've _sworn_ that I won."

 **18- affair**

She's awarded with a ceremony for her efforts in early June. Well, her company is awarded with the ceremony, but he's going for her. She's tried to play it off as a group effort, as something the whole team put together, but Toby knows how much she contributed, how many long nights she spent breaking her head over the solution, and knows this team would be useless without her. It's a black tie affair and she looks absolutely stunning; a floor-length dress, shiny stilettos he hadn't known she owned, and her hair twisted and coiled off of her neck. He, of course, dresses the part in the nicest suit he owns and wants to do nothing but cheer for her from his table, but the party's too formal. He settles for politely clapping and laying one on her when she returns to her seat. Dinner is served and it's something fancy he can neither pronounce nor recognize and people are waltzing- legitimately waltzing- in the middle of the floor. Toby's never felt more out of place in his life.

Spencer's pulling bobby pins out of her hair, letting the curls rain down around her shoulders, when she whispers, "Want to get out of here?"

He does. They make a polite exit, feigning restroom use, and are out of there before anyone can bat an eye. She hates formal affairs as much as he does; duly noted. Now she's tugging on his hand, nearly dragging him down the street in an effort to get far, far away from the banquet hall and he doesn't know where they're going. They end up a few blocks down, at a mini golf place they always drive by and say they're going to play, but never do. There's a first time for everything; they buy eighteen holes and ignore the looks on the teenager's face, surely wondering what these two adults are doing at a mini golf place in their best evening wear. Honestly, Toby's wondering the same thing, but every single day is an adventure with her. And watching her, now, as the heel of one of her stilettos gets stuck in the green and she misses an easy shot because the dragon's tongue got in her way and her excitement over the hole in one she's _still_ holding over his head, he knows this is the moment. He wasn't going to do it now, maybe not even tonight, but he has to. He can't last one more second.

"It's your turn," She says in a singsong voice. "Stop being so distracted. I'm kicking your ass, here."

"Maybe that's why I'm so distracted," Toby shakes his head. "I need to get my head in the game."

"You've got to get'cha, get'cha, get'cha, get'cha head in the game," She chuckles and he shoots her a look.

"No more _High School Musical_ ," He warns, putting straight for the flower petals in the center. "We had an agreement."

" _High School Musical_ was a cinematic masterpiece. You walked right into that one," She says, an eye on the tiny orange ball rolling for, and then completely missing, the hole. " _How_ did you miss that shot? It was wide open!"

"You, hush," Toby says. "Just because we found _one_ thing you're better at than me-"

She smirks. "As if there's only one."

He makes par, at least. It's no hole in one, but he's actually not _that_ bad at golf. The next hole is inside the base of a volcano and they have to put up the spewing lava coming down. Somehow he does this in two strokes; Spencer does it in four. He gloats a little and she whines that the laws of physics kept her from a sure hole in one. Sure. Whatever she says. They finally reach the final hole, a castle with knights in shining armor on either side, and as she tees up, prepping as one Tiger Woods might, Toby knows now is the time. If he's going to do this, he needs to do this _now_. She holds her breath after she swings and watches as the little red golf ball goes spinning towards the castle. In mere seconds, in sinks into the hole and she hops up and down, squealing, before tossing her club to the ground and leaping into his arms. He laughs and spins her in circles and he's sure the onlookers are getting quite the show.

"I won! I _totally_ beat you!" She says elatedly, then pulls back slightly to brush invisible dust off her shoulder, joking, "I mean, we both should've seen this coming. I'm pretty awesome."

"Yeah, you are," He chuckles. "Now what do you say to beating me at mini golf for the rest of our lives?"

"I say, bring it on!" Spencer replies and then sobers a bit when he sets her back on the ground. "Wait, the rest of our lives? What are you talking about?"

He grins at her and gets down on one knee and she utters, her voice wavering, "Oh my god. What are you doing?"

"Spencer, I am so in love with you," He says and she's still staring at him like she can't possibly believe this is happening. "Every day with you is something I wouldn't trade for anything else in the world. I don't know what the future's going to bring for us, but I know that I don't want to spend one more second without knowing we'll be together forever. So Spencer Hastings, will you marry me?"

"Yes," The answer is out of her mouth before he's barely finished. Her breath hitches and he's got the ring, somewhere, but she seems too preoccupied with his lips to care.

It's okay. They'll get to it eventually. Right now, it's all about them.

 **19- the cat's out of the bag**

She's sitting in the booth beside Aria and across from Hanna and Emily, studying the menu and trying to decide what the order, but the girls are being really weird. Okay, _Hanna's_ being really weird, and Hanna's usually weird, but there's something abnormal about today. They haven't seen each other in a week or two and they've been going through withdrawals, so lunch at their favorite little diner downtown seemed like the perfect way to catch up. It isn't their fault, really; Aria's been shipped all around the country with National Geographic, Spencer's been working nonstop on her PhD, Emily's been working nonstop, period, and Hanna's always all over the place. They've barely had time for themselves, let alone each other, but finally, they found a rare moment where all four of them had a moment to spare and thus, here they are.

Hanna sips a bit of her milkshake before asking, "We're getting an app to share, right? I'm _starving_."

"Sure," Spencer nods. "What were you thinking?"

"Hmm, how about…" She trails off and then suggests. "The onion rings. I mean, the diamond circles! I mean, the onion circles! Aria, you like onion circles, right?"

Aria's eyes are wide as she says, "Yes, Hanna."

Spencer glances between the two, lost, and shakes her head. "I'm not a big a onion ring fan."

"Okay. We don't have to get those." Hanna shrugs. "I'm not married to the idea."

She slaps a hand over her mouth and Emily glares at her. "Shut _up_ , Hanna."

Spencer frowns. "What is wrong with you guys?"

"Nothing," Aria shakes her head. "So how are you? How's Toby?"

"We're good," She smiles. "We're really good."

"Yeah, I'll bet you are," Hanna smirks suggestively and the other two shoot her a pointed look.

She doesn't stop acting strangely the entire lunch and Spencer feels so out of the loop. Later, as Aria's describing, in detail, her trip to California, Spencer gushes, "Ugh, that sounds _amazing_. I want to go there so badly."

"Maybe you and Toby should consider that for your honeymoon," Hanna blurts out and Emily elbows her in the side. " _Ow!_ "

"Yeah, in the event that we get married, I will," Spencer grins and then it hits her. "Oh my god. Oh my god, we're getting engaged."

"What? Really? How do you know?" Hanna tries backtracking, but it's too late.

"No, how do _you_ know?" Spencer accuses. "Before me?"

"Toby made the mistake of telling this one," Emily nods towards the blabbermouth blonde. "So naturally, now everyone knows."

"I'm sorry, but _how_ was I supposed to keep that a secret?" Hanna squeals. "My best friend is getting married! I want to tell the world!"

"Tell whoever you want, Hanna," Emily deadpans. "Just don't tell _Spencer_."

"He's doing it tonight," Aria tells her gently. "Act surprised when he asks, okay?"

She is surprised; she's completely caught off guard. But she wants to be caught off guard by _him_ , not by her friends. When he proposes later that evening, she still gets teary eyed and she still says yes and they still make out furiously on the couch. But he pulls back after a moment and looks her in the eye and says, somewhat disappointedly, "You're not surprised. I thought you'd be surprised."

"I am," She says, caressing his face. "I'm _so_ surprised."

"You're not," He disagrees. "You knew I was going to propose, didn't you?"

"No," Spencer insists, but she knows he can see right through her. "No, I didn't."

Toby nods, glancing downward. "When did you figure it out?"

"I didn't," She says truthfully and brings his eyes to hers again. "But next time you want to keep a secret from me, don't tell Hanna, okay?"

He frowns. "I should've known she'd tell you."

"It's okay," She shakes her head and then has an idea. "Look, I'll reenact my surprised reaction from when she told me."

She pulls away from him a little, widening her eyes and gasping overdramatically. "Oh my _god!_ "

Toby laughs and pulls her in for another kiss. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," Spencer grins, responding to the kiss with equal vigor. " _Fiancé_."

 **20- a second chance**

When he knows, he's still nineteen, and his girlfriend is suffering through a lifetime of troubles and she should have the love and support of her parents, but they've always struggled in that area. He's in the middle of doing something- it's trivial and he can't remember now- and then she knocks on his door and consumes his thoughts the rest of the evening. On the verge of tears, she asks to stay for a while, and without a second thought, they become roommates, if only for a little while. He holds her close, because he'll protect her if no one else will. He wakes up the next morning in a tangled pretzel of limbs, sheets and blankets on the floor, Spencer in his t-shirt and boxers. And he could get used to this, to waking up everyday like this. And he wants to. And that's when he knows.

When he tries, they're at a fancy restaurant with more silverware than they need and a waiter that calls them sir and madam and food he can't pronounce with prices he can't afford. She's out of place too; she makes fun of the outfits people are wearing and jokes about the ingredients on the menu to a waiter who's less than pleased, but her boyfriend can't stop snickering. Toby feels like they're being watched, like the patrons of the restaurant are wondering why these children are here. And he still knows, but he's not nineteen anymore. He's not, but he still feels like a child, because he's nervous and jumbles his words in front of the girl he hasn't been nervous in front of in ages and the ring snags the inside of his pocket and he curses himself for not bringing the box. He feels like everyone is staring at them, as if they know what's about to happen and pity him for not being able to get it out. He fumbles like a failure and instead of getting engaged, he ends up asking her if she wants to split crème brulee. He has no idea what crème brulee is. And that's the first time he tries.

When he tries a second time, they're playing Scrabble in their pajamas a week later. They're in the comfort of their own home, giggling over silly, trivial things and Spencer's never looked happier. He wants to marry her right then and there; no dress, no fanfare, just the two of them. After a pause, she scribbles down her score and tells him it's his turn and there's no fumbling, this time, or jumbled words. He straight up asks her, looks her deep in the eye and asks her to marry him, and she grins and cries and kisses him, and she says yes. The Scrabble board gets pushed aside and they can't seem to get close enough to one another until they become one. And he loves this girl to the ends of the Earth; he should've known they didn't need a fancy dinner or some dramatic display to get engaged. They just need each other, like they always have and they always will. And that's the second time he tries.

And they're engaged after that.

 **21- déjà vu**

Spencer Hastings is perfect. It's the first thing he thinks the moment they become acquainted, after she gets over her initial hatred of him and they're allies. She's poised and she's graceful and she's polished. She's the student every teacher wants, the daughter every parent desires, and the best friend anyone could ask for. She's fiercely loyal and she's passionate and she's kind. She's easily the most intelligent person he knows and she's relentless, determined, doesn't easily back down. She's a spitfire and she fascinates him and Toby spends the first few weeks of their relationship just drinking her in, just taking in everything that comes with being with her, because it's a lot, it's almost too much to handle. But he loves it. He loves her.

But then he sees it- a crack. A tiny fissure in her otherwise solid composure. He digs deeper, peels back the layers, and sees what a mess she is inside. Spencer Hastings is not perfect. She's needy and anxious and insecure. She's damaged, emotionally unattached, and broken. She doesn't feel enough or she feels too much and she takes on other's pain until it physically destroys her. Everyone around her puts enormous amounts of pressure on her- her parents, her friends, her tormentor- and she forces herself to keep going, to find the answer, to be _everything_ to everyone, even before she can be _something_ for herself. She isn't perfect, no matter how much she tries to be. And he appreciates that even more, because somehow, she's only a tenth as messed up as he is.

Time passes and she heals. She isn't as much of a broken mess as she was in her teenage years; she's found love, happiness and validation. But every now and then, Toby will see a bit of that abyss of sadness and insecurity come out in her and he'll be instantly transported to a time they both wish they could forget. It's hard for him, _so_ hard, to watch her struggle, but even worse is the fact that no matter what he says, or does, or continues to do in the future, he can't chase it away. It's there, it's a part of her, it's branded in the forefront of her mind to always doubt herself before she believes in herself. And he wishes more than anything he could fix it for her, but he can't. All he can do is love her through it and wish for the best. It doesn't happen as often as it once did, but when it rains, it pours.

Like tonight. They're strolling, hand in hand, through the park, and there are nerves abound in his stomach as he catches her attention, presents her with a ring, and asks, simply, "Will you marry me?"

And she smiles at first, but then it fades just a little, as if something had dimmed her happiness. With agony, he watches the doubt and insecurity creep onto her face and wants to shout at them to go away, leave them alone, for once. She bites her lip. "Are you sure?"

"Why wouldn't I be sure?" Toby wonders, genuinely curious. "Spencer, I am so in love with you and above anything else, I just want to be with you forever."

"Forever's a long time," Spencer says and it's like they're teenagers again, haunted repeatedly by the same demons. "I just… I love you _so_ much. And I need you to be sure."

"I have never been more sure of anything," Toby says and slips the ring onto her finger. "Marry me."

She nods, and she's smiling through the tears in her eyes and he watches the insecurities simmer down. For now. "Okay. I will. I will!"

They're gone. But they'll come back. Toby will be ready for them when they do.

 **22- all the romantic clichés**

They're eating dinner one night, in front of the television because they're really awful at being adults, and a Disney World commercial comes on in between their marathon of _Law and Order: SVU_. Toby casually mentions he's never been and Spencer honestly doesn't even know what to say. Truthfully, she's been once, so it's not like she's an expert on the place. But it's a rite of passage and she doesn't understand how, in his early-to-mid twenties, he's never been to the most magical place on Earth. He shrugs, twirls his fork through some spaghetti and tells her his family wasn't really one for vacations. It breaks her heart. And that's how they end up taking a week off to go relive their childhoods with Mickey Mouse and all his pals.

She was eight the first and only time she went to Disney World and she doesn't really remember much, but she remembers that it's the only vacation where her entire family managed to get along the whole time. There's something about Disney magic that just chases reality and all troubles away. On the first day, Spencer gets Toby a 'First Visit!' pin and every cast member and passerby alike welcomes him with open arms. They spend full days at each of the parks, traveling to the future at Epcot, getting their fix on cinematic magic at Hollywood Studios and joining the jungle crew at Animal Kingdom. On their final night, they decide to spend it at the heart of all the fantasy, Magic Kingdom, and are waiting just in front of the castle for the nightly fireworks. It has been, in her opinion, a hell of a trip and worth it, too.

"So, Disney World. What did you think?" She asks her boyfriend, poking him in the side.

"I have to admit, I had a great time," Toby nods. "I guess I always wrote it off as being a kiddie park, but they really do have something for everyone."

"Disney World is the same size as the city of San Francisco," Spencer tells him. "If you can't find something you enjoy here, you're dead inside."

Toby laughs. "Whatever you say."

Soon, the fireworks are exploding in the sky above and, like everything, Disney knows how to do fireworks _extremely_ well. She doesn't know why, but she finds herself getting goose bumps as Tinkerbell flies across the night sky and is almost teary as the fireworks gear up for their big finale. "They're so beautiful."

"Yeah," Toby nods his agreement, entranced. "They really are."

 _Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might. Have the wish I wish tonight. So make a wish and do as dreamers do… And all our wishes will come true…_

"You see, it's just as I told you," Jiminy Cricket croons. "Wishes _can_ come true, if you believe in them with all your heart. And the best part is, you'll _never_ run out of wishes. They're shining deep, down inside of all of us. Because that, my friends, is where the magic _really_ lives."

"That's so nice, oh my god," Spencer says and turns to gauge Toby's reaction, but he isn't next to her anymore. "Toby?"

 _Wishes, dream a dream. Wishes, set it free. Wishes, trust your heart. Just believe. Just believe!_

And then she spots him, knelt beside her, an engagement ring in his hands, and she can't contain herself. She cries. "Oh my god."

 _Like a bolt out of the blue, fate steps in and sees you through. When you wish upon a star your dreams come true_.

"Spencer," Toby grins and she can't stop crying. She can't handle all of this emotion. "I love you so much. You're the only dream I'll ever need. Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Spencer cries in joy and the ring's on her finger and people are paying more attention to them than the fireworks, at this point. The crowd claps and cheers and she still can't stop shaking.

 _Make a wish! Wishes! Dream a dream! Wishes! Trust your heart and your wish will come true!_

Fireworks explode into the sky. Spencer pulls Toby's mouth to hers and they makes fireworks of their own.

 **23- the wrong color**

She's blue. It takes him a solid five minutes to bust the door down, Lorenzo and a few others right behind him, and when he does, Aria is writhing on the floor and bleeding from an unknown wound and Spencer's unconscious. She's completely blue and he forgets he's a cop the moment he sees her. He doesn't know where Alison and Emily and Hanna are. He doesn't know what his colleagues are shouting to one another as they radio for an ambulance, _stat_. All he knows is Spencer is on the floor in front of him and she's not breathing. He drops to his knees, tilts her chin back, and gives her two rescue breaths, telling himself to panic later; she needs him to stay calm, she needs him to focus. He administers CPR, her faint pulse growing fainter, until the paramedics arrive and take over. It's his worst nightmare; they'd had a plan, it was going perfectly, and then it all went horribly, horribly wrong.

She stabilizes on the ride to the hospital, but when they get her to start breathing again, she stops twice. And that's all they'll tell Toby, regardless of his badge. He's shaking, pacing the floor, jittering, and he can't stop seeing her purple lips, the deep blue hue to her skin, the giant handprints around her neck. He has no idea who –A is, whether it's someone they know or this faceless Charles DiLaurentis, but whoever it is had tried and nearly succeeded in choking the life out of Spencer. He can't handle this. Even from a position of power he's powerless. The doctors give him the okay to visit her and he's out of the waiting room before he can blink. She's awake, now, lying back against the pillows and she isn't blue anymore but she still isn't quite the right color. She smiles gratefully when she sees him and he sits down in front of her, wary of her fragility.

Her voice is extra raspy when she says, "That didn't go well, did it?"

"How can you make jokes at a time like this?" Toby shakes his head, trying desperately to ignore the hand-shaped bruises on either side of her neck. "You almost died."

"But I didn't," Spencer says. "You found me just in time."

"I should've been with you the whole time."

"You couldn't have been."

He can't stop seeing it, can't stop shaking his head. "I don't know what I would've done if I lost you."

"Hey," Spencer stops him, a hand to his cheek. "Don't. Don't go there."

"I have to," Toby insists. "This is the first time losing you became a very real possibility."

She leans forward and presses a kiss to his mouth; probably to shut him up, he's guessing, or maybe because she can't bear the thought either. It's too awful. Either way, when they pull apart, Toby's struck by impulsivity and near-grief. "Marry me."

"What?" She gasps. "Marry you? Toby, I'm still in high school!"

"For the next three weeks," He shrugs. "It doesn't have to be right away. We could get married in five years or in twenty and I wouldn't care. I just want to know it's in the horizon."

She cocks an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," Toby insists. "I love you so much and I'm… I'm _so_ scared of losing you. Finding you today, like that… It was too much for me. We don't have to do anything right away or tell anyone. Just say you'll marry me."

Spencer's staring at him like he's grown a second head. "You're crazy."

"Is that a no?"

"It's a… You're crazy!" Spencer maintains. "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you."

His eyes widen. "You will?"

"Yes," She grins. "Because I'm crazy, too."

And they are; crazy, that is. Crazy about one another.

 **24- meaning of a flower**

He comes home with a bouquet of flowers, as he always does on their anniversary, and each time, it fills her heart just as much as it had the first time. November's always a busy month; the holidays are in full swing and they both work _so_ much, but they'll always find time to celebrate that fateful fall day when they became a couple. She's gotten used to the beautiful arrangements he picks out; orchids and lilies and hydrangeas. But this one seems different; less organized and even slightly chaotic. It reminds her, actually, of something a child might bring home; a fistful of random flowers that stand well alone, but don't get along with others. At first, she doesn't quite know what to make of it. And then, she wonders if he's trying to tell her something. He is.

She's at the kitchen counter, filling a vase with water, and he asks, "Do you like them?"

"I do," She nods. "They're beautiful."

"You don't think they're a mess?"

"They kind of are," She admits and only because the styles and hues don't go together at all. "I just figured maybe it was the florist's first day."

Toby chuckles. "It isn't. They mean things, flowers do. I picked the ones with the best meaning."

"I know they do," Spencer nods. "I'm best friends with Aria, remember?"

"I should've known."

She begins to pluck them, one by one, and place them into the vase. "A red rose means love, of course."

"Because I'm in love with you," He says, joking, "In case you weren't aware."

She grins and goes on. "A white lilac. Youthful innocence."

"Because we were just kids when we got together," Toby explains. "Stupid kids who had no idea what they were getting themselves into."

Spencer chuckles. "A purple lilac representing first love. That makes sense."

"First and only," Toby adds and she has to nod her agreement.

"Ooh, I love these," Spencer stops a moment to inhale the sweet scent. "A lily of the valley. Happiness."

"You make me happier than I could ever imagine."

"A tulip for passion."

"We have _plenty_ of that, I think."

And then she pauses. "What's this one?"

Toby fills her in. "It's a stephanotis twisted with ivy."

She frowns. "I don't know what those mean."

"You don't?" Toby sighs. "Great. Now we'll never know. I was counting on your endless knowledge."

"Hang on, I'm already Googling it." She tells him, her fingers tapping away at the keys of her phone. "Ah ha, here it is. So ivy means eternal fidelity. And a stephanotis means… marital happiness…"

She trails off, unable to speak, and Toby's got a shit-eating grin on his face and an engagement ring in his hand. She swats him. "You _knew_ what they meant!"

"Of course I did. I bought them," He laughs. "Will you marry me, Spence?"

"My head is telling me to mess with you and say no, but my heart is too excited to say anything but yes!" Spencer replies, leaping into his arms.

It's another memory to add to their infinite list and from then on, flowers are never the same.

 **25- opposites attract**

She has nineteen children- twenty, next week- and she loves each of them dearly. She hasn't become the next Michelle Duggar; she's jumped head first into the land of elementary school teaching and she hasn't looked back. It started off as volunteer work, then as a paid substitute job to get her through grad school, and at the end of the year, the teacher she'd been student teaching for retired, the school hired her full time and now she's teaching science to a bunch of fourth graders and loving every second of it. It's rewarding, molding the young minds of tomorrow, and no, it's not glamorous. No, it doesn't pay well. Yes, she has her good days and her bad. But it's one of the best decisions she's made in her life.

She draws a plus sign in chalk and a negative sign beside it on the board in front of her. "Okay guys, today we're going to continue our lesson on electricity. Who can tell me what a proton is?"

Four excited hands shoot into the air. She chooses at random. "Olivia."

"It's an atom with a positive charge," She recites proudly, straight from their textbook, Spencer's sure.

She chuckles just a bit. "Very good. Therefore, an electron is…? Luke?"

"An atom with a negative charge," He says and she nods.

"You got it," Spencer says. "And what about static electricity? Who remembers what that is?"

They shrug and glance around at one another and so, Spencer improvises. She reaches for her bag of supplies and produces a balloon. "If I take this balloon and rub it on my head, back and forth a bunch of times, and then pick it up, what's going to happen?"

"Your hair's going to stick up," Isaac calls out excitedly.

"That's right," She demonstrates this and the class erupts in giggles. "That's because the balloon is picking up a charge from my hair and when I take the balloon away, the remaining particles are able to cling on to what's left behind. Make sense?"

They nod obediently. "Same thing happens with magnets. When you take one positive end and stick it next to a negative end, what happens?"

"They stick together!" Hayley says, eyes wide.

"That's right!" Spencer flips the magnet so now the same sides are together. "But what happens now, when I put a positive next to a positive?"

"They push apart," James replies.

"You're right," Spencer nods. "Opposites attract, same repel. So on your desks, I've given you a tray full of magnets and little metallic pellets. Have fun, spell out your names, go wild. I just want you to experiment with the charges a little before we move on."

She gives them a few minutes, watches their little fingers work on their trays, before calling time. "Alright, let's see what you've created. Who wants to go first?"

No one raises their hand. After a beat, Jenna offers, "I'll go!"

"Go for it, kiddo."

She lifts her board and Spencer smirks. The little girl's spelled out 'MISS HASTINGS.' She's always been an overachiever, that one. "That's nice of you, honey. You spelled my name."

"I'll go next," Olivia grins. Her board reads 'WILL.'

"That's good," Spencer nods. "See, when the magnets combine-"

"Me, me!" Benjamin shouts. His reads 'YOU.'

Isaac raises his. He's spelled out 'MARRY.'

Luke is next, with, 'HIM.'

Spencer's standing in confusion until the rest of the class combines their work boards, half into a question mark, the other into an arrow, pointing at their classroom door. Her eyes snap to the hallway and Toby's there, grinning from ear to ear. She is, honestly, speechless. "What the…"

"I had to think of a way that might take you by surprise," Toby tells her, stepping closer and closer. "And who better to help than your nineteen little minions?"

"You know what, guys?" Spencer says, turning back to her class. "Magnetic charges are really interesting because they also apply to people. People who you think have nothing in common with you might be your best friend. People who have different interests, different personalities, or different appearances might just be the kind of person you want to have around all the time."

Liam's impatient. "Are you gonna say yes or what?"

Spencer laughs. " _Yes!_ "

The class claps and cheers and Jenna sighs dreamily. "Science is _so_ romantic."

 **26- a fight**

It starts off simply; just a routine disagreement over which apartment would better suit them. But, as usual with them, it escalates very, very quickly.

Toby scrubs a frustrated hand over his face, inhaling a deep breath to try and even his voice. "The one we looked at yesterday was cheaper and the master bedroom was a pretty good size. You're not going to find that kind of space anywhere else in this city."

"What do we need that kind of space for? All we're putting in there is a bed!" Spencer replies. "And besides, the apartment as a whole was smaller than the living room in _this_ one _and_ it was in a shitty area. It's overlooking that sketchy alley and I'm pretty sure I saw it on an episode of _SVU_."

He rolls his eyes. "You watch too many procedurals."

"I do _not_ ," She disagrees and spins a bit in the current apartment they're checking out. The landlord's left them alone; they must've chased her away with their indecisiveness. "There's an actual dining space here and we could use it when we host dinners."

He smirks. "What kind of dinners are we hosting?"

"Holiday ones. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter…" She trails off and on the frown on his face, adds, "Don't be like that. We'll invite our parents and they'll be so proud that we are actual adults."

"Our parents _hate_ each other," Toby says. "And you hate my parents, remember?"

"I don't hate them," She frowns. "I hate the way they treat you and you should too."

"Let it go, Spencer."

"Let what go? The fact that your father calls you maybe once a month for a total of five minutes and only lets you speak for two of them? And then spends the rest of the time berating you for the way you're 'wasting your life'? Yeah, I'm just going to let that go."

"That's who they are," Toby shrugs. "Don't sweat the little things."

"And you're okay with that?"

"It's who they are!"

"And you're _okay_ with that?"

"I can't do anything about it, can I?" He shouts back. "It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me," Spencer insists. "It _should_ matter to you."

"Well it doesn't," He shakes his head. "This whole thing is stupid. Can we just pick a place already so we can stop living out of boxes in your parents' barn?"

"Because all along it's been fine but suddenly it's so horrible?"

"It's not horrible, I just hate feeling like I owe them something."

Spencer sighs. "We don't owe them anything. They were just trying to help."

"Still."

She groans in frustration. "Well what do you want me to do? Tell me what you want and I will do it."

And then he looks at her, _really_ looks at her, and says, "I want you to marry me."

It stops her in her tracks and she's taken aback, just for a moment. Then she explodes. "What the _fuck_ is that going to solve?"

"Nothing," Toby chuckles and suddenly he can't stop smiling. "Literally nothing. We're still going to have to find a place to live. We're still going to be arguing about this until we're blue in the face. But I want you to marry me. I want to argue with you for the rest of my life."

And now she's laughing too and she can't seem to help herself. "Are you proposing to me right now? In the middle of this empty apartment? In the middle of a fight?"

"Yes," He says, suddenly mildly self-conscious. "But I can do it somewhere else. I can get flowers and music and a hot air balloon and fireworks-"

"I don't need any of that," Spencer cuts him off with a kiss and in between each embrace, she tells him, "I have you, don't I?"

 **27- spontaneous**

" _Where are you?_ "

Spencer yawns and balances her cell phone in the cup holder, putting it on speaker. "Finally on my way home. Just got on the highway."

" _You just got out of work now?_ "

"Yeah," She replies. "Talk to me while I drive so I don't fall asleep at the wheel and wrap my car around the guardrail."

" _Spencer, that's not even funny. Why would you say that?_ "

She yawns again in response and her stomach grumbles. "I'm starving. I think I'm going to stop for food."

" _It's 1 a.m._ "

"So McDonalds is still open, probably," She says. "Can I get you anything?"

" _Again, it's 1 a.m. I'm barely awake_."

"Shit, you have to work in, like, five hours," Spencer realizes. "Go sleep. Seriously. I'll be okay."

" _No way. I'm not going to bed until I know you're home safe. If you can't, I can't_."

It's a thing with them; she's lost count of how many nights she's forced herself to stay awake, just until he makes it home and she can breathe easy again. She knows it goes both ways. "Okay. I should be there in like ten minutes. Fifteen, after I stop for some French fries."

She hears him chuckle. " _French fries? That's what you want at 1 a.m.?_ "

"Don't judge me," She grins. "Or I won't let you share."

In about twenty minutes, he greets her at the door with a kiss and she's got a bag of salty golden French fries. They're in their pajamas, now, lying in bed and completely devouring them. She bites off half of one and sighs in pleasure. "This is all I need. Only French fries, nothing else."

"Ouch," Toby feigns hurt, a hand over his heart. "Just let me know when to move out."

She giggles, offers him the sleeve, and he takes a couple more. "You can't tell me they're not delicious. You aren't complaining."

He chews and swallows before saying, "No, but McDonalds is disgusting."

"It is," She agrees. "Except when you get fries that just came out of the fryer. They're all warm and salty and perfect. Plus, when you're short on time, or you're absolutely starving, or you're on a road trip and everything is foreign, but you see those golden arches, McDonalds is like… coming home."

Toby laughs. "Ladies and gentlemen, this has been a McDonalds Monologue by Spencer Hastings."

She laughs, too. "I'm serious! Plus, what other fast food chain _cares_ as much as they do? There's the Ronald McDonald House, which is such a great charity. And then, did you know that the managers and CEOs of McDonalds have to go to a university as part of their training? Like an actual McDonalds University where they teach them not only all about the food they're preparing, but also about the company and about customer service?"

"You know _way_ too much about McDonalds," Toby says. "Like it was funny at first but now it's just kind of terrifying. Are you like a secret heir to the Big Mac throne, or something?"

"No," She giggles. "There was a documentary on McDonalds on Netflix. I watch things like that."

"Of _course_ you do."

"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. I also watched one on Chipotle and LEGO, do you want to hear about those?"

"No," Toby grins. "I want you to marry me."

Her smile falters a bit in her shock and even he seems surprised that he's said that. "Wait, what?"

"I just… I…" He stammers. "I wasn't going to ask you like that. I really wasn't."

She wonders, "But you were going to ask me?"

"Yeah," Toby sighs. "I had it all planned out. We're going back to Rosewood this weekend for Thanksgiving and I was going to bring the ring. We were going to go to our spot on the hill, remember that one? The one that overlooks the town? I was going to ask you there."

Spencer smiles warmly. "That sounds perfect. But you know what, Toby? So was this."

She brings him in for a kiss; it's a yes. And you know what? A little spontaneity never killed anybody.

 **28- contest winners**

Some people play Bingo. Some people buy lottery tickets. Either way, everyone has some sort guilty pleasure, some kind of crutch. Spencer Hastings enters sweepstakes. And they're nonsensical, usually, and she never wins. Except this time. It comes in the mail and she nearly loses her shit. This is how they end up on a three-day weekend trip, all expenses paid, to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. More importantly, it's how they end up in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Spencer gets to come face to face with her childhood once more. She takes Toby because A- he's not only the love of her life, but her best friend, too, and B- somehow in his twenty-five years of life, he's never been on a single vacation. And she'd be upset over this, she'd be pissed off at his poor excuse of a home life, but she can't be, somehow. It must be all of that positivity and Florida sunshine.

Needless to say, as they're sipping identical butterbeers and strolling down Diagon Alley, Spencer's like a fourth grader all over again. On top of Gringotts, the dragon the golden trio rescued rests and every so often, it breathes fire into the already hot day. Spencer cannot contain herself. "Can I live here?"

"You could try," Toby grins. "Where are we going next?"

"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes," Spencer decides, pulling open the door to the joke shop. "And then Ollivander's, obviously."

Inside the shop is everything any prankster could ever need and it looks just like the movie, just like she always imagined it. A little girl picks out a pygmy puff and the witch behind the counter announces its adoption to the whole store, a touch they find wonderful and perfectly in character. After they're finished channeling their inner Dennis the Menace, they head a little further up the street to Ollivander's, where they're ushered into the shop in front of walls and walls of wand boxes and after a beat, a little old man appears and Spencer becomes the chosen one. She swishes and flicks like a regular old Granger and the older man switches out her wands when they do not suit her. Finally, she finds the one, or it finds her, and, just like the movie, she's bathed in an ethereal light and a breeze swirls all around her. It's probably the most magical thing that's ever happened to her and, obviously, she buys it.

"I don't even care that I just dropped forty dollars on a stick," Spencer buzzes with excitement. "I'm a witch. I don't need money."

"That was really cool," Toby comments. "What's it made of?"

"I'm glad you asked," She grins and plucks the top off the box to show it off. "It's 11 ¾ inches, made of oak and slightly bendy. There's a dragon heartstring as the core. I can't handle myself right now."

He laughs. "Would you like to visit Gringotts now?"

She deadpans, "Are you seriously asking that question?"

It's a ride that sends them barreling through the stalactites and danger that Gringotts entails and it's wild and rickety and brings them face to face with Bellatrix, Voldemort and the dragon. Afterwards, they bid Diagon Alley farewell, head over to the London portion of the park and take the Hogwarts Express over to Hogsmeade, where Spencer loses her mind all over again. There's Zonkos and Honeydukes and all of the buildings are covered in snow. But at the end of the road is the looming, giant Hogwarts castle and inside, a ride that takes them along a journey with Harry, Ron and Hermione as they try to escape all of the troubles that the wizarding world brings them. It's been a long and exhausting day of emotion and they're beginning to get hungry. As they disembark the ride, Toby asks where they're going to get food.

"Three Broomsticks?" Spencer suggests and Toby agrees. "Okay. I want to use the restroom first. Will you hold… all of my things?"

He chuckles as she dumps her merchandise bags into his awaiting arms. "Sure. You're going to need to buy another suitcase to hold all your souvenirs."

She rolls her eyes playfully and heads in the direction of the restrooms. To her surprise, as she's washing her hands, a familiar voice rings through the bathroom. It's Moaning Myrtle and Spencer wants to kiss the feet of whoever designed this section of the theme park, because it's basically perfect. When she returns from the bathroom, she and Toby get a table at the Three Broomsticks, order a perfectly English meal of fish and chips and bangers and mash, and talk animatedly about their wonderful day. Spencer again jitters, "I can't believe I was the chosen one. I mean, that wand _literally_ chose me."

"I know," Toby nods. "It's got a dragon heartstring, too. Don't let all the power go to your head."

She grins and says, "I have to see it again. Do you still have the bag?"

"Yeah," Toby nods and hands her the box with her wand inside. "Better to look at it now before you get food on it."

But as she lifts the top of the box, she's utterly speechless. It's her wand, the one she recognizes from earlier, but right around the middle, there's a sparkling diamond ring and this she does not recognize. When she meets his eyes again, Toby smiles encouragingly at her and asks, "Spencer, will you marry me?"

"Oh my god, yes!" She replies and reaches around the table to bring him in for a kiss. Onlookers are staring and upon realization, clapping. Their food arrives but for a while, it goes untouched.

She doesn't believe in magic; at least, not the sorcery kind and not like she used to. But she does believe in love; she believes in Toby. And that, in a way, is its own sort of magic.

 **29- your wish is my command**

"Spencer, will you marry me?"

"Yes!"

He doesn't know why it made him so nervous. Seeing how excited she is, how deeply and utterly _thrilled_ she is, at the prospect of marrying him… Well. He can't say he understands it, but he appreciates it all the same. He's never been happier in these last few years he's spent with her; anyone that knows him can say that's true. And he's looking forward to the rest of his life, because now, he gets to spend it with her and he has no idea what's in store for them, but they're going to have a great time. They're making out pretty heavily now and they've moved it to the bedroom and soon, they're half clothed. She runs her fingers through his hair- it's getting long again and he's been meaning to cut it, but she apparently likes the length- and then the ring gets stuck and she has to break contact to laugh, because she isn't used to this. Just when he thinks they're going to take it to the next level, she pulls away from him, a pensive look in her eye.

"Wait," She pauses. "We're getting married."

Toby smirks. "That's correct, yes."

"We're going to have a wedding."

"Yes, that's how you get married."

She eyes him, not appreciating the sass. "My mother is going to be _so_ annoying."

"Yeah, probably," Toby agrees, remembering Veronica's actions during her eldest daughter's wedding a few years prior. "That's how she is."

"She's going to make us book the club," Spencer frowns. "I mean, honestly, she'll probably have the entire town of Rosewood there. She'll make us get married in the town we _hated_."

"True," Toby points out. "But honestly, Spence, Rosewood is the reason we're together. It's a shitty place, but it brought me to you."

She smiles. "Yeah. You're right."

They're kissing again but after a few moments, she pulls back again. "She's going to take over _everything_. She'll want this huge obnoxious dress and a nine-course meal and an eighteen-tiered cake with every flavor imaginable."

"Do they even make cakes with eighteen tiers?"

"I don't know," Spencer shakes her head. "Then she'll want to pick the flowers and the bridesmaid dresses and the color scheme. Why do weddings need to have color schemes anyway?"

"I have no idea."

"Toby, I love you _so_ much and I want to marry you more than I've ever wanted anything," Spencer confesses and it makes his heart somersault. "But that wedding? The one I just described? That's not what I want."

"Okay," Toby says. "What _do_ you want?"

"Something simple," Spencer replies. "Something in a park somewhere or on a beach. Only close friends and relatives; not some big extravaganza. Flowers like the ones you always bring me on our anniversary; orchids, hydrangeas. A small cake, because there aren't going to be a lot of people there, not if I can help it. The dress Hanna pointed out to me in a bridal magazine _weeks_ ago. That's it. That's all I want."

"Okay," He nods. "We can make that happen."

Spencer frowns. "No we can't. My mother would _never_ allow that. Melissa, when she got married, wanted lilac for her bridesmaids and do you remember what color the dresses actually were?"

"…No…?"

"They were lavender," Spencer sighs. "Lavender!"

"What's the difference?"

"I don't know!" Spencer exclaims. "They're both purple, but the point is, even that tiny, insignificant detail wasn't good enough for her. And she means well, I know, but I just… I don't want her to control every last detail. I don't even know if I _want_ a wedding. I just want to be married to you."

"You know," Toby suggests. "There are ways to do that, too."

Her eyes widen. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"Yup," He nods. "We can elope."

Spencer thinks long and hard. "That would probably kill her. But that big, overdramatic wedding would probably kill _me_."

"Think about it," Toby tells her. "Let me know. I'll do what you want to do."

"You always have ways of making things easier on me," Spencer says gratefully. "I don't know how you do it, but I do know that somehow, you and I will have the _perfect_ wedding."

"Whatever you want," Toby says. "Your wish is my command."

 **30- say it without saying "Will you marry me?"**

It's late, or maybe it's early; it's just after four a.m. and they're wide awake, basking in the sweet afterglow of lovemaking and watching the early morning colors start to awaken in the sky. It's Saturday and apparently, they just couldn't wait to celebrate the weekend with one another, because here they are, lying awake when they should definitely still be sleeping, and kissing and caressing as though they've been starved of one another, when in actuality, their harvest is a bountiful one. He has one arm slung across her back, one hand tangled lazily in her hair, and she's draped on top of him, drawing invisible patterns on his chest that's still heaving and trying to get itself under control. After a moment, she lifts her head, smiles dreamily at him and kisses him again, over and over, and he responds in earnest, wondering if she's trying to kill him.

"What are we going to do for our anniversary tomorrow?" She asks after a dozen kisses and he balks because he hadn't even been thinking about it.

He hadn't forgotten; quite the opposite, actually. There's a velvet box with an engagement ring in the drawer of his bedside table that proves that point. But still, he can't mention that to her. "I don't know. Dinner, somewhere? A movie?"

"We _always_ do dinner and a movie," Spencer says. "Let's be adventurous."

"How?"

"I don't know," She shrugs. "We could go somewhere, like a bed and breakfast or the coast. Or Paris."

"Paris?" He chuckles. "Okay. Let me just casually book a trip to Paris for tomorrow night."

"Think about it," She grins. "Our anniversary in the city of love? Dinner at one of those cute little Parisian cafes? A walk to the Eiffel Tower?"

"I _am_ thinking about it," Toby says. "And now I wish that's what we were doing. Thank you."

"Maybe next year."

Teasingly, he asks, "Whoa, there's going to be a next year? Don't you think we're moving kind of fast?"

She swats at him. "There better be a next year. And a year after that. Don't tell me you're getting cold feet _now_."

If she only knew. Suddenly, Toby's overcome with the urge to just make it official already and he argues inwardly with himself. Of course he knows what they're doing tomorrow; he's been planning this for months. But he also simply cannot wait another single second. He's torn; does he wait it out and go with his original plans? Or throw caution to the wind and ask her right here, right now? He shifts uncomfortably and sits up and Spencer, sensing a change in tone, does too. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," He smiles complacently. "Seriously, nothing. I love you so much and I've never been happier."

She smiles, too, slowly. "Neither have I. I love you too, Toby."

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Toby then says, turning to his side and retrieving the velvet box. "I mean, I can, but not like this. Never did I picture this moment with us, naked, in bed, but I seriously can't wait another second, so… Spencer, for the longest time, you've been-"

"Oh my god, _yes!_ " Spencer blurts out and then immediately claps a hand over her mouth, horrified. "I-I mean, I didn't mean… I didn't mean to say that. I mean, I did, I did mean it, but not right now. Not until after you were done… saying whatever it is you were going to say. Oh my god. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I'll wait, I… You can ask what you were going to ask… Not that you were necessarily _going_ to, but I saw the box and… Okay, now I'm just thinking that maybe it's not what I was… I mean, it looks like it's… But it might not be and… _Oh my god_."

Toby smirks, amused, and not even slightly bothered by the fact that she'd interrupted what would likely be his greatest declaration of love. He can't speak; rather, she hasn't let him. "I mean, it could be something that you would present to the person you're in love with if you were going to ask them a very particular question, but it also might not be. It could be a pair of earrings or like a necklace or something, which would also be so sweet and thoughtful, and I would not be opposed to it or disappointed in the slightest. I mean… Oh my god. _Oh my god_. I fucked up, didn't I? I fucked up whatever you were going to say. I'm sorry, I can't… I mean…"

"Spencer?"

"Yes?"

"Can I speak now?"

"Yes," She laughs and there are tears in her eyes and she's taking deep breaths to try and calm herself. It isn't working. "Yes. Go on. Go ahead and ask me whatever it is you're going to ask me."

He considers it a moment before shaking his head and tucking the box out of sight. "No. That's okay."

Her eyes widen. "What?"

"You've just ruined it," Toby shrugs. "And so now I have to wait for a time when you're least expecting it."

" _What?_ " She shrieks. "No! You'll drive me insane! You can't do that!"

"Why not?" He asks, aloof.

"Because!" She shouts as though it's obvious. "Because I'm going to expect it all the time now! You can't do that to me!"

"Then you'll be waiting a _long_ time."

"That's not how it's supposed to go!"

"Neither is answering the question before I've even asked it."

"Toby," She groans. "You're killing me. Please don't do this! Just ask me!"

"I will," He nods. "When you least expect it. Goodnight, Spencer."

"Toby-"

"Goodnight, Spencer."

She huffs, indignant, beside him. Then, she has an idea. "Technically, we're already engaged."

Toby chuckles. "Technically, we're not."

"You bought me a ring and I accepted," Spencer says. "Technically, we are."

"I never presented you with that ring and it might not even be what you think it is," Toby counters. "Technically, we're not."

She gives up, snuggles into his side, and murmurs, "My mouth works faster than my brain. You know that."

"I do," Toby grins. "I should've remembered that but I didn't and now we both have to suffer."

She yawns, sleep overtaking her. "Just don't make me wait too long, okay?"

In the morning, Toby slips out of bed and tucks the blankets more firmly around his sleeping girlfriend. He presses a kiss to her cheek and heads for the bathroom, as usual. He's just come from a shower and is midway through brushing his teeth when he hears her awaken in the room adjacent. "What the _fuck?_ "

He grins. Pushing open the bedroom door, he finds Spencer, sitting straight up in shock, and admiring the beautifully sparkling engagement ring on her left ring finger. Her eyes slide to his and Toby shrugs. "Huh. Wonder how that got there."

"Toby," Her voice is quivering with emotion. "It's beautiful."

"You like it?" He continues, teasingly. "I was afraid you'd see it and then take back your answer."

She scrambles off the bed and launches herself into his arms and he's lucky, so incredibly lucky, because he gets her for the rest of his life. She kisses him once, twice, three times, before saying, "Okay, so technically we're engaged."

"Technically, we are."

"Even though you technically never asked me."

"Technically, that was your fault."

"But you still technically never asked me."

"Okay," Toby says. "But technically, I bought you a ring and technically, it's on your finger. So that means that you technically accepted, so if you want to stay technically engaged to me, you should technically drop it and kiss me. Technically."

"Technically," Spencer laughs. "That made no sense. But okay."

In between kisses, Spencer points out, "Besides, when have you and I _ever_ done things traditionally?"

Technically, she's right.


End file.
